Charles Lamb (Royal Navy officer)
Encyclopedia
Commander Charles Bentall Lamb DSO DSC Royal Navy
(1914–1981) was an officer in the Fleet Air Arm
during World War II. He piloted a Fairey Swordfish
torpedo strike reconnaissance aircraft at the Battle of Taranto
, and later wrote a best selling book on his experiences called War in a Stringbag.
On 20 September 1939, he married Josephine Frances Elgar; they later had two sons.
. Like many merchant navy officers Lamb joined the Royal Naval Reserve, appointed a midshipman 31 March 1933, and in December joined the battleship HMS Rodney in the Home Fleet and West Indies for four months' training.
On return to England in 1934, he passed his Board of Trade examinations in London. "When we had passed, our brand new Board of Trade Certificates of Competence were useless. In the depression of the early Thirties there were so many [merchant] ships laid up that jobs afloat were virtually unobtainable."
Keen to learn to fly, Lamb joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1935 and flew for RAF Coastal Command
for three years. The RAF controlled British naval aviation up to 1938. When the Fleet Air Arm was constituted in 1938 Lamb transferred to the Air Branch of the Royal Navy, becoming a sub-lieutenant (aviation) on 13 June 1938 with seniority dated 28 October 1936 He was promoted to lieutenant (aviation) on 28 October 1938. On 27 February 1939 he joined Torpedo Strike Reconnaissance Squadron 822 on the aircraft carrier HMS Courageous
in the Home Fleet.
at the Battle of Taranto
." He flew in the Greek campaign of 1941 and was shot down during an air raid on Malta.
In September 1941 Lamb's aircraft was wrecked while landing a secret agent in French North Africa and he was imprisoned by the Vichy French government for a year, until the Allied invasion of Algeria, November 1942. After treatment for malnutrition, he spent a year recruiting flying cadets for the Fleet Air Arm, until passed fit for flying in December 1943, and joined the aircraft carrier HMS Implacable
as Lieutenant-Commander (Flying), with an acting rank of lieutenant-commander. Aboard HMS Indefatigable
as Lieutenant-Commander (Flying) from May 1944, he escorted Arctic convoys and launched air strikes against the German battleship Tirpitz
. He served in Implacable again as Lieutenant-Commander (Flying) from 8 January 1945 until July 1945; after a catastrophic flight deck injury (struck by a broken propellor) he was hospitalized for two years before returning to naval duty.
He was commanding officer of the fishery protection vessel HMS Welcome from 7 March 1953. Welcome was an Algerine class ocean minesweeper
displacing about 1000 tons, completed in 1945, and used for fishery protection. From 23 October 1953, he was Commander (General Training) and Staff Officer (Flying) to Flag Officer Ground Training at RN Air Station, Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus).
He was on the books of HMS President
for miscellaneous duties from 26 September 1955. He was Assistant Commandant, Joint School of Warfare (Old Sarum), 1956–1958; and retired on 29 July 1958.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
(1914–1981) was an officer in the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
during World War II. He piloted a Fairey Swordfish
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War...
torpedo strike reconnaissance aircraft at the Battle of Taranto
Battle of Taranto
The naval Battle of Taranto took place on the night of 11–12 November 1940 during the Second World War. The Royal Navy launched the first all-aircraft ship-to-ship naval attack in history, flying a small number of obsolescent biplane torpedo bombers from an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea...
, and later wrote a best selling book on his experiences called War in a Stringbag.
Early life
Lamb was born on 11 April 1914 in Bolton, Lancashire. He was the son of Arthur Lamb and Violet Aubrey Bentall.On 20 September 1939, he married Josephine Frances Elgar; they later had two sons.
Career Before World War II
In 1930, he went to went to sea as an apprentice with the Clan LineClan Line
The Clan Line was a passenger and cargo shipping company that operated in one incarnation or another from the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century.-Foundation and early years:...
. Like many merchant navy officers Lamb joined the Royal Naval Reserve, appointed a midshipman 31 March 1933, and in December joined the battleship HMS Rodney in the Home Fleet and West Indies for four months' training.
On return to England in 1934, he passed his Board of Trade examinations in London. "When we had passed, our brand new Board of Trade Certificates of Competence were useless. In the depression of the early Thirties there were so many [merchant] ships laid up that jobs afloat were virtually unobtainable."
Keen to learn to fly, Lamb joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1935 and flew for RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive...
for three years. The RAF controlled British naval aviation up to 1938. When the Fleet Air Arm was constituted in 1938 Lamb transferred to the Air Branch of the Royal Navy, becoming a sub-lieutenant (aviation) on 13 June 1938 with seniority dated 28 October 1936 He was promoted to lieutenant (aviation) on 28 October 1938. On 27 February 1939 he joined Torpedo Strike Reconnaissance Squadron 822 on the aircraft carrier HMS Courageous
HMS Courageous (50)
HMS Courageous was the lead ship of the cruisers built for the Royal Navy during the First World War. Designed to support the Baltic Project championed by the First Sea Lord, John Fisher, the ship was very lightly armoured and armed with only a few heavy guns. Courageous was completed in late...
in the Home Fleet.
Boxing
Lamb was taught to box by a padre called Canon Brady at a mission in Buenos Aires when he was an apprentice for Clan Line. He made one professional appearance as a boxer under the name of 'Seaman Benson', to gain experience and to raise money for the mission. As a midshipman on Rodney he boxed for the Navy as a light-weight in the 1934 Inter-Service Championships. In 1936 he won the RAF Officers' championships as a light-weight, and boxed for the RAF in the 1936 Inter-Service Championships. Two years later, he boxed for the Navy in the 1938 Inter-Service Championships.World War II
In the early part of the war, he was a Swordfish pilot. "Charles Lamb flew in the thick of the action, mine-laying and U-boat hunting over northern Europe, harrying E-boats at Dunkirk, to being one of the two Swordfish Pathfinder pilots with 815 Squadron FAA815 Naval Air Squadron
815 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Fleet Air Arm, part of the Royal Navy. The squadron is currently based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, United Kingdom and it is the Navy's front line Lynx Naval Air Squadron. It currently comprises more than 30 Lynx helicopters of various types...
at the Battle of Taranto
Battle of Taranto
The naval Battle of Taranto took place on the night of 11–12 November 1940 during the Second World War. The Royal Navy launched the first all-aircraft ship-to-ship naval attack in history, flying a small number of obsolescent biplane torpedo bombers from an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea...
." He flew in the Greek campaign of 1941 and was shot down during an air raid on Malta.
In September 1941 Lamb's aircraft was wrecked while landing a secret agent in French North Africa and he was imprisoned by the Vichy French government for a year, until the Allied invasion of Algeria, November 1942. After treatment for malnutrition, he spent a year recruiting flying cadets for the Fleet Air Arm, until passed fit for flying in December 1943, and joined the aircraft carrier HMS Implacable
HMS Implacable (R86)
HMS Implacable was an Implacable-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy.- History :She was laid down at Fairfields Shipyard on Clydeside three months after her sister-ship Indefatigable and was clearly destined for the British Pacific Fleet once worked up...
as Lieutenant-Commander (Flying), with an acting rank of lieutenant-commander. Aboard HMS Indefatigable
HMS Indefatigable (R10)
HMS Indefatigable was an Implacable-class aircraft carrier of the British Royal Navy. Indefatigable was present at the formal surrender of the Japanese on 2 September in Tokyo Bay. She later helped to repatriate Allied POWs held in Japan and was used as a spotting ship for later US nuclear tests in...
as Lieutenant-Commander (Flying) from May 1944, he escorted Arctic convoys and launched air strikes against the German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz
Tirpitz may refer to:* Alfred von Tirpitz, German admiral* German battleship Tirpitz, named for the admiral* Tirpitz , a pig rescued from the sinking of the SMS Dresden, and named after the admiral...
. He served in Implacable again as Lieutenant-Commander (Flying) from 8 January 1945 until July 1945; after a catastrophic flight deck injury (struck by a broken propellor) he was hospitalized for two years before returning to naval duty.
Post war
Lamb was given a permanent commission in the Executive Branch of the Royal Navy as lieutenant-commander on 1 August 1945, with seniority from 28 June 1944. He served on the staff of Flag Officer (Air) (Home) at RN Air Station, Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus). He was promoted to commander on 31 December 1949, and served at RN Air Station, Lossiemouth (HMS Fulmar) from 21 January 1950.He was commanding officer of the fishery protection vessel HMS Welcome from 7 March 1953. Welcome was an Algerine class ocean minesweeper
Algerine class minesweeper
The Algerine-class was a class of minesweepers of the Royal Navy and the Commonwealth. 110 ships of the class were launched between 1942 and 1944 and served in World War II....
displacing about 1000 tons, completed in 1945, and used for fishery protection. From 23 October 1953, he was Commander (General Training) and Staff Officer (Flying) to Flag Officer Ground Training at RN Air Station, Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus).
He was on the books of HMS President
HMS President (shore establishment)
HMS President is a stone frigate, or shore establishment of the Royal Naval Reserve; on the northern bank of the River Thames near Tower Bridge in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.-Present day:...
for miscellaneous duties from 26 September 1955. He was Assistant Commandant, Joint School of Warfare (Old Sarum), 1956–1958; and retired on 29 July 1958.