Pte 307010 Joseph Tamber

Joseph Tamber was born Giuseppe Tambourini, civil birth registration Joseph Andrew Tamburini.  He was born in Liverpool on 10th July 1896, the second son of Pietro Tamburini and his wife Hannah (née Hilditch).  His father was born in Lazio, Italy and his mother in Liverpool.  Pietro came to England in the 1880s.  Before his marriage he is listed on the 1891 census as an organ grinder. They married in St. Nicholas Church, Liverpool, in 1891.  His father gave his age as 22, his occupation as musician, and signed his name Peter Tambreen. They had nine children, one of whom died young.  A number of his siblings were baptised Roman Catholic, but a baptism record for Joseph has not been found.  Records show various spellings of the last name.

 

Joseph (later called Joe) had an older brother Domenico, and younger siblings Antonio, Peter (died in infancy), Francis, Maria Carmela (Carry), Harry, Peter, and Hannah.

 

In 1901 the family (listed as Tambourrini), using the Italian form of their names, are living at 11 Springfield Street. His father Pietro, 35, is a confectioner shopkeeper, working on his own account at home. His mother Hannah is 29, Domenico is 7, Giuseppe is 4 and Antonio is 2. 

 

Joe attended St. Francis Xavier School before attending Holy Cross.

 

By 1911 (census form completed as Tambourini) they are living at 80 Gerard Street, with seven children, and have anglicised their first names.  His father Peter is a labourer (navvy), his mother is 38, Dominic is 17, a Carter for Atlas Express Company, Joseph is 14, an office errand boy.  Anthony, 12, Francis, 8, and Carry, 6, are at school, Harry is 3, and Peter 10 months old.  They have a boarder, a 73 year old musician from Italy.  Another daughter, Hannah, was born in 1914.

 

Joe enlisted in the 1/8th Bn King’s Liverpool Regiment, using the last name Tamber, and served as Private 4624.  The amount of the War Gratuity suggests that he served for 26 months, enlisting in about December 1915. At some point he was transferred and was serving in the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 307010 when he was killed in action on the 22nd March 1918, aged 21, during the German Spring Offensive. 

The Battalion diary provides an insight into the events of the day: 

GERMAINE – HAM- MOYENCOURT

The battalion moved up accordingly being in position at 6:30 a.m. About 3pm the enemy attacked the left of our position and advanced on our left flank towards FLUQUIERES. At 4:30 pm an attack was launched on our front and the enemy forced his way through on our right. The remainder of the Battalion was forced to retire to south of FLUQUIERES. During this engagement the Battalion lost 11 Officers and About 21 O.R. The order was given to retire to the defences at HAM. The Battalion by this time was very weak, and passing through the 20^th Division took up positions in HAM, as ordered, getting into position at 2am.

He now rests at St Souplet British Cemetery, France.

St. Souplet village was captured by the American 30th Division on the 10th October 1918. The American troops made a cemetery of 371 American and seven British graves on the South-West side of the village, on the road to Vaux-Andigny. A smaller British cemetery was made alongside. The American graves were removed after the Armistice and the seven British graves were moved into the British cemetery. Further British graves were brought in from the surrounding battlefields and the following smaller burial grounds. There are now nearly 750, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, one-fifth are unidentified and special memorials are erected to 55 soldiers from the United Kingdom, buried in other cemeteries, whose graves could not be found. The cemetery covers an area of 2,504 square metres and is enclosed by a stone rubble wall.

His family provided information to the newspaper, reported in the Liverpool Echo on 27th April 1918:

“Private Joe Tamber (22), K.L.R., after two and a half years on active service, has been killed. He was employed by the Atlas Express, Manesty Lane.  He was an old boy of Holy Cross School.  He has two brothers now serving abroad. His parents live at 78 Gerard Street.”

 

Joe’s name appeared in the list of those Killed published in the Liverpool Daily Post & Mercury on 16th May 1918.

 

However, on 20th June 1918, an appeal for information was printed:

“Would relatives please ask for news of Private J. Tamber, B Company, K.L.R., missing since March 22. News gratefully received by his mother, 78, Gerard Street, Liverpool.”  

Perhaps the family received conflicting reports, or were reluctant to accept the certainty of his death.  

 

His mother, Mrs. Hannah Tamberine, 78 Gerard Street, Liverpool, received his Army effects and a War Gratuity of £12.

 

His brother Domenico had a son in 1919 he called Joseph. 

 

In 1939 his parents, Peter and Hannah Tambourine, were living at 84b Birkett Street. His father, 72, was a corporation street sweeper.

His mother died in 1942 aged 72, and was buried in the C of E section in Anfield Cemetery.  His father died in 1952 aged 84, and was buried in the Roman Catholic Yew Tree Cemetery. 

 

We currently have no further information on Joseph Tamber, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.