Major James Morison Shaw Lambie 1908 - 1978

Major J M S Lambie Home Guard .

James Morison Shaw Lambie was born in Wallsend on 25^th September 1908. He was the only son of Robert Dickie Lambie and Anne Dale Lambie, and had 4 sisters: Elsie, Mary, Annie and Margaret. He was educated at Newcastle Preparatory School then Durham School, where he played in the 1^st Rugby 15, and rowed in the 1^st Eight. On leaving school he joined the family business, "R D Lambie", later "Lambie Ltd" of Third St, Wallsend, which manufactured ships lifeboats and other commercial craft. In 1936 he married Helen Thomson Ogilvie, daughter of the Rev. Alexander Thomson Ogilvie, the Minister of Wallsend Presbyterian Church. They had two sons, Robert Morison Lambie (b 1937) and Alexander Ogilvie Lambie (b 1938).

 

In the years before the war he captained Wallsend RFC and held a commission in the Territorial Army (Royal Engineers). At the outbreak of war he lived at 10 Queens terrace, Wallsend. Although held to be in a ‘reserved occupation’ he went off to France as a Lieutenant in the RE with the British Expeditionary Force. His unit initially layed down temporary landing strips for fighter aircraft, but later, in 1940, demolished bridges in order to hinder the German advance on Dunkirk and so allow as many British troops as possible to escape. Eventually he left Dunkirk on perhaps the last trawler to leave before the enemy arrived. On arriving home, he found that his Father’s health was failing and it was decided that he was needed to run the business (supplying ships’ lifeboats to the many shipyards throughout the UK). With the aid of the local MP and the Admiralty his reserved occupation status was upheld and he spent the remainder of the war running the company and played an increasing part in the local Home Guard, being promoted firstly to Captain and then to Major.

 

In the early years after the war, Lambie (Wallsend) Ltd thrived under his leadership, serving the UK shipbuilding industry and exporting around the world, although his wife died in 1954. He developed the company to use glass fibre technology in the production of lifeboats and other commercial craft, but with the dimunition of the UK, and indeed European shipbuilding industries, the company was sold in 1972. A keen golfer, he became captain of Foxton Hall Golf Club (Alnmouth), but having developed circulatory problems, he died in March 1978.

Information and photograph kindly supplied by Alexander and Robert Lambie

If you have any information on J M S Lambie or anyone who served in the Northumberland Home Guard, Newcastle Battalions please contact ph@ccoynblhomeguard.co.uk