Hickling Local History Group

William Lambert's Story ©

William Benjamin Lambert was born in 1916, in a small cottage in Stubb Road, Hickling, the first child of Frederick William Joshua and Beatrice Ann Lambert. Over the years, the family extended to eleven children, six brothers and five sisters, all born and raised in Hickling.

In later life, William began to write down some of his memories, finally completing them in 1995. His hope was that they would be of interest to the family, but, in fact, they are of tremendous value to all with an interest in the Village of his youth - Hickling.

The book (originally a typewritten manuscript by William) tells a fascinating tale of his early years in Hickling, through school and on to his teenage years and his first job with a local farmer. In 1935, he decided to leave the Village to join the Royal Air Force, and he recounts his experiences through basic training and his service until he was posted to Egypt in 1938. Here, having an interesting war, he served until he became ill and was posted back to England in 1943, the journey home being quite eventful. William then tells us of his life in the RAF until he was demobbed in 1946, and his civilian life thereafter. The latter part of the book contains numerous pages where he reminisces about people and places, many in Hickling; readers may remember some of them!

The book now belongs to William's only son, Geoffrey, but it was brought to us in 2007 by William's brother-in-law, Gerald Robson, who knew that we, and others, would be delighted to read it. As the story was transcribed, we became compelled to get out the atlas, and look for all the places that William visited or was stationed at during his service in the Royal Air Force. Thus the maps were added to the book, together with the family photographs.

Geoffrey has kindly given us his permission to place this book on the website, in memory of his father, who died in 1997.


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