THE PRO PATRIA PROJECT

de LAMBERT Basil Marmaduke

NZ2071, Flight Lieutenant, Royal New Zealand Air Force, WW2

CITATION

George Medal

Gazetted 5 March 1946

The highest qualities of self-sacrifice and complete disregard of his own safety were shown by Flight Lieutenant de LAMBERT when he deliberately entered an area of flames to reach an airman who, though gravely injured, appeared to be still alive following the crash of a transport aircraft of the RNZAF at Bougainville on 23rd April 1945.  On duty as strip Medical Officer, Flight Lieutenant de LAMBERT hurried to the scene of the crash and found a man, encircled by flames from the blazing aircraft, lying beside the wreckage.  Without delay he wrapped himself in a blanket, walked deliberately into the flames, and, with the aid of an airman wearing an asbestos suit, transferred the injured man to a stretcher and carried him to a safe area.  The Medical Officer suffered first degree burns to both forearms, but on arrival at hospital with the airman, he refused treatment in view of the more urgent needs of the crash victim.  Flight Lieutenant de LAMBERT’s conduct throughout was courageous  and gallant in the extreme. 

KNOWN AWARDS

George Medal

War Medal 1939-45

New Zealand War Service Medal

NOTES

Born 6 July 1920 Queenstown, New Zealand

Died 11 September 1994 Dunedin, New Zealand