Frank Edward Lambert
He was a coach painter in 1939.
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
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He was the son of Frank William and Ada Ethel Lambert and the brother of Alfred and Kenneth Lambert of 4, Coleridge Street, Radford, Nottingham.
CASSINO WAR CEMETERY I. K. 12.
Serving under the 28th Infantry Brigade of the British 4th Infantry Division in May 1944, 2nd Battalion, the King's (Liverpool Regiment) underwent its most punishing ordeal of the Italian Campaign.
During the fourth and final Battle of Monte Cassino (Operation Diadem, the battalion was chosen as the vanguard assault unit tasked with executing a crossing of the Rapido River. Lambert was killed during this amphibious operation.
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four Allied assaults against the German Gustav Line in Italy during World War II, fought from January 17 to May 18, 1944.
Key Overview
• Dates: January 17 – May 18, 1944 (four major battles)
• Location: Monte Cassino and the town of Cassino, central Italy (about 80 miles south of Rome)
• Objective: Break through the Axis Winter Line / Gustav Line to clear the road to Rome
• Result: Strategic Allied victory, leading to the capture of the hill and the liberation of Rome shortly after
The Four Battles
• First Battle (January 17 – February 11, 1944): The US 5th Army attacked across the Rapido and Gari rivers and pushed into the mountains, suffering heavy losses against entrenched German forces.
• Second Battle (February 15 – 18, 1944): Citing fears that the historic Benedictine abbey was used as a German observation post, Allied bombers completely destroyed the 6th-century monastery. The ruins actually provided better defensive cover for German paratroopers.
• Third Battle (March 15 – 25, 1944): Heavy aerial bombing flattened the town of Cassino, followed by ground assaults from New Zealand and Indian troops, which ended in a bloody stalemate.
• Fourth Battle (May 11 – 18, 1944): A massive, coordinated offensive by a multi-national Allied force—including British, American, French, Indian, and Polish troops—finally cracked the line. The Polish 2nd Corps captured the ruins of the abbey on May 18, 1944.
Forces Involved & Casualties
• Allied Forces: Led by Generals Harold Alexander, Oliver Leese, and Mark Clark. Troops hailed from the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, India, South Africa, France, and Poland.
• Axis Forces: German 10th Army commanded by General Heinrich von Vietinghoff, under overall command of Field Marshal Albert Kesselring.
• Casualties: The Allies suffered roughly 55,000 to 105,000 casualties, while German losses are estimated between 20,000 and 80,000. About 2,000 civilians also died.
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