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Air Vice-Marshal Sir Charles Lambe


Charles Laverock                b: 10 May 1875           r: 1 Oct 1931                     d: 25 Apr 1953

KCB - 3 Jun 1931 (CB - 3 Jun 1919), CMG - 1 Jan 1918, DSO - 12 May 1917, LoH, O - 14 Sep 1917, Leo, O - 20 Jul 1917, Leo, Cdr - 15 Apr 1921, Cwn, C - 5 Apr 1919, CdG (B) - 21 Sep 1918, CdeG (P) - 8 Nov 1918, DSM (US) - 16 Dec 1919, MiD - 11 Dec 1917.

For a list of foreign decoration abbreviations, click here

(RN): - Mid’n: xx xxx 1891, Sub-Lt:  14 Nov 1894, Lt: 22 Jun 1897, Cdr: 30 Jun 1908, Wg Cdr: 6 Mar 1915, Wg Capt: 30 Jun 1916, Capt: 31 Dec 1916.

(RAF): - (T) Brig-Gen [Lt Col]: 1 Apr 1918, Col: 1 Apr 1918, Act Maj-Gen: 4 Jan 1919 [23 Dec 1918], Act Brig-Gen:  31 Mar 1919, Gp Capt: 1 Aug 1919, A/Cdre: 5 Aug 1919, AVM: 1 Jan 1925.

xx xxx xxxx:         Attended HMS Britannia, Dartmouth.  

xx xxx 1891:        Midshipman, Royal Navy

14 Nov 1894:        Confirmed in the rank of Sub-Lieutenant

1897                      Officer, HMS Magpie. (R-Adm Rawson’s Expedition to Benin)

xx xxx xxxx:         Lieutenant, Naval Ordnance Department

15 Dec 1908:         Commander, HMS Queen.

 1 Sep 1913:          Assistant to Director of Naval Ordnance and Torpedoes

xx xxx 1914:          Captain, HMS Hermes.

1915                      Head of Operations Section Air Department, Admiralty.

xx Aug 1915:          Air Adviser to Admiral Sir R Bacon.

 6 Sep 1915:          Officer Commanding, No 5 Sqn RNAS

xx Oct 1915:           ?

 1 Aug 1916:          Officer Commanding, Dover Command RNAS (included units based at Dunkirk).  

xx xxx 1917:           Officer Commanding, HQ Dunkirk

 1 Apr 1918:          GOC, VII Brigade

17 May 1918:         GOC, No 5 Group.

12-16 Jul 1918:       Temporary duty in England

23 Dec 1918:          Temporary GOC, HQ Midland Area?

 4 Jan 1919:             GOC, HQ Midland Area

27 Feb 1919:           Director of Equipment.

 1 Aug 1919:            Awarded Permanent Commission as a Colonel

 1 Aug 1919:            Appointed Director

22 Jan 1920:            Removed from the Navy Lists on being awarded Permanent Commission in RAF

 1 Aug - 4 Dec 1922:            Placed on half pay list, scale A

 4 Dec 1922:            Supernumerary (Special Temporary Duty), HQ Coastal Area.

 1 Mar - 6 Jul 1923:              Placed on half pay list, scale A

 7 Jul 1923:             Supernumerary (Special Temporary Duty), HQ Coastal Area.

 4 Sep - 11 Dec 1923:          Placed on half pay list, scale A

28 Feb 1924:            AOC, RAF Halton/Commandant, No 1 SoTT (Apprentices).

14 May 1928:           AOC (Designate), Coastal Area.  

26 May 1928:           AOC, Coastal Area.

He is thought to be the first Englishman to own a German wolf hound (Alsatian).  At the time HMS Hermes was sunk she was ferrying personnel, stores and equipment for the Cdr Samson’s Eastchurch Sqn, RNAS that had deployed to Ostende in support of Gen Aston’s RM Brigade.  Hermes left Dunkirk on a return leg, when information was received of an enemy submarine operating in the area.  She was recalled to port, too late… U-27 had her in her sights, and fired. She sank on the Ruylingen bank with the loss of 22 of her crew.

 In 1917, he suggested that the fighter seaplanes at Dunkirk should be replaced by aeroplanes, which had an improved performance.

With Trenchard's return to the helm in 1919, he was one of three ex-naval officers selected by him to occupy posts on the new Air Council in order to give him some colleagues  with experience of the Admiralty's way of thinking.  Interestingly, when he died The Aeroplane's obituary made no reference to his RAF career and quoted that he had been the type of officer that had made the Navy what it was.  He was the stepfather of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Lambe (1900-60), 1st Sea Lord 1959-60.   He retired at his own request.

Citation for award of DSO: -

"Capt. Charles Laverock Lambe, R.N.

For his valuable services in command of the R.N.A.S. units on the Belgian Coast; he is very largely responsible for the good service in the varied duties carried out by them against the enemy"

(London Gazette - 12 May 1917)

Citation for the award of the Distinguished Service Medal (United States)

LAMBE, Charles Laverock, Air Commodore, CB,  CMG,  DSO

“For valuable services rendered in connection with the war.” l

 (Source - London Gazette 16 Dec 1919)

This page was last updated on 27/08/23

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