Major Herbert Owen Lambert M.C. Killed on 26 Jan. 1945, Kapelsche Veer Age: 33 "A" Co. Lincoln and Welland Regiment Son of Richard Morten Lambert and Claudia Hill Lambert, of Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A. Christened the "Mad Major" by Canadian journalists, Lambert was a flamboyant officer who never wore a helmet or cap in combat and was known for his hatred of the enemy and for shouting like a carnival barker when leading his men. He referred to his company of riflemen as the S.S. Troops of the 10th Brigade. "Interviews with other surviving Lincs revealed that men still talked about Kapelsche Veer as a “dividing point” in the regiment’s history. There was a clear perception, Hayes wrote, that something important happened there and many veterans used the words “before” or “after” Kapelsche Veer in telling their story. The Lincoln and Welland veterans believed that their worst enemy at Kapelsche Veer was not the tenacious German paratroopers or the weather but their own senior officers who committed them to a battle that could only be won at a price no combat soldier thought worth paying." Terry Copp The Canadians had suffered 234 casualties, of whom 65, including 9 officers, were fatalities. After the war the commander of the 6th German Parachute Division said that the defense of Kapelsche Veer had cost him between 300 and 400 serious casualties plus 100 more men disabled by frostbite. Sgt. Charles Kipp reported that over 200 German dead were recovered after the battle. In all, nearly 1000 men of both sides were killed, wounded or went missing in the snows of Kapelsche Veer.
Pictured are men from the Lincoln and Welland Regiment the day after the Battle of Kapelsche Veer. Note the Indian moccasins.
There are a great many references to Lambert in Charles Kipp's book, including the circumstances of his death. There is also an intriguing account of Lambert being seen by several soldiers and Dutch civilians on the morning he had been killed and for days afterwards. A 'ghost' story that was well known in the regiment. Kipp served as one of Lambert's platoon sergeants for many months. At Kapelsche Veer, A Company had to advance on their own toward their objective, which was a pair of houses in the harbour area designated as ‘Grapes’ and ‘Raspberry’. A Company reached a point only 30 yards (27.5 m) from ‘Grapes’ (see map below) before being repulsed by heavy fire. According to Kipp, Lambert and two others raced ahead of the platoon and reached the house. While two escaped, Lambert was either wounded or killed by a grenade which landed beside his leg. The house was later destroyed by artillery fire and Lambert's body was supposedly found in the rubble long afterwards.
