Windsor and Richmond Gazette (NSW : 1888 - 1965), Friday 26 July 1935, page 10


SOLDIER AND SPORTSMAN

LATE GENERAL JOHN LAMROCK DEATH AFTER LONG ILLNESS

AFTER a long illness, during the latter art of which he was a patient in 'Braeside' Private Hospital, Stanmore, where he recently underwent an operation, Brigadier-General John Lamrock, C.B., V.D., one of the State's most popular soldiers and sportsmen, died on Friday last in his 76th year. He recently retired from

the position of secretary of the Moorefield Race Club owing to ill-health, and when the news of his death became known it cast quite a gloom over the Hawkesbury district, where the General was well-known and beloved by a large circle of friends. Born at Kurrajong in 1859, General Lamrock was educated at Newington College and Sydney Grammar School. As a young man he lived for many years in the Hawkesbury, taking a keen and active interest in the welfare and advancement of the district, and was for a time a councillor and President of the Colo Shire Council. His association with racing began in 1877, when he became a member of the Hawkesbury Race Club. He was chairman of the club at his death. He was judge for meetings on the historic Clarendon course, and for about ten years also officiated in that capacity for the Newcastle Jockey Club. He was also judge for the Menangle Club for some time. Appointed secretary of the Moorefield Race Club in 1912, he occupied that position, except for his absence during the war, until his retirement this year. General Lamrock was not only well-known in racing circles in Australia, but he had a distinguished military career. Early in 1915 he left Sydney as a Lieutenant- Colonel in command of the 20th Battalion, A.I.F., and remained in charge of that until the evacu ation of Gallipoli. He did splendid work at Anzac, and was to a large extent responsible for the small number of casualties in the battalion and the comparative absence of sickness. On his return to Sydney in 1916 he was appointed camp commandant at Liverpool. Later, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General, and after the war he returned to his position as secretary of the Moorefield Race Club . Striking evidence of the sterling qualities of the late General and the respect and esteem in which he was held was provided by the large concourse of people, representativs of all sections of the community, at his funeral on Saturday. A memorial service in the Lindfield Presbyterian Church was conducted by the Rev. A. D. Marchant, who referred to the deceased as 'a soldier, a patriot and essentially a man's man." ''He was a keen judge and lover of horses, and he had an inspired military career," said Mr. Marchant. 'Wherever duty called him, he followed, giving unstinted service and making sacrifices, and he won the affection of all with whom he came in contact." After the service the funeral cortege proceeded to the Northern Suburbs Crematorium. The chief mourners were Mrs. Lamrock (widow), Misses Gwen and Ethel Lamrock (daughters), Mr. Alan C. Lamrock (son), Mr. William Lamrock (brother), Messrs. C. J., Leith, James and Nigel Lamrock and B. B. Sampson (nephews), Miss Clara Lamrock (sister), Miss Hazel Lamrock and Mrs. C. J. Lamrock (nieces), Dr. J. C. Lamrock and Mr. H. Skuthorpe (cousins). Among others present were Sir Chas. Rosenthal, Messrs. H. A. Goddard (president), , J. A. Broadbent and W. J. R. Scott (Imperial Service Club), K. W. McKenzie, J. M. Maughan, W. H. Lindsay, Wallace Brown, W. K. McKenzie, E. C. Norrie, . ' Richard Dowse, W. G. L. Bain. C. E.. k Cameron, C. H. Howard, W. J. Smith J. J. L. McCall, M. A. Cooney, C. W. H. Coulter, K. H. Ward, J. E. Guvot, T. P. Conway, 'V. H. Springwall, J. E. Swallow, E. C. Corrigan, G. Thompson and R. L. Clare (20th Battalion), M. C. Davies (Soldiers' Fathers' Association) . Racing and sporting clubs were represented by Messrs. G. T. Rowe, Farr, A. L. Yuill and T. Nicholson (Australian Jockey Club), B. B. O'Conor, F. Moore and H. Peacock (Moorefield Race Club), Ben Barnett and E. Woodbury (Menangle Park Race Club), Stewart Allt, F. G. Underwood and H. S. Clissold (Canterbury Park Racing Club), Brinsley Hall, H. R. Fox, C. S. Icely, R. Watts 'and Norman Cox (Haw. kesbury Racing Club), A. O. Gee (Kensington Racing Co.. Ltd.), W. W. Hill, H. C. Bartley, J. H. Saunders, and T. T. Manning (Tattersall's Club), P. O'Leary, Gus Mooney, J. Conlon, Geo. Henderson, E. Johnston, H. Sachtel, S. Matthews, T. O'Brien, W. . J. Maunders, and S. Peters (City Tattersall's Club), F. Howell and F. B. Morris (N.S.W. Trotting Club). Others present were: — The Rev. J. Board. . man, Mr. G. C. Somerville (representing Sir Samuel Hordern and the council of the Royal Agricultural Society), Messrs. A. D. Playfair, S. W. Webb, W. Allen, C. Davies, J. F. Fenwick; W. Boyd Robison, H. Ponsford, S. G.' Leeder, B. Richards, G. B. Ring, W. G. Ring, J. Hannan, W. Hannan, H. Brown, G. Mitchell, R. Wootton, Malcolm Spencer, Paul Dowling (N.S.W. Bookstall Co.), B. G. Paddle, Reginald Campbell (Usher of the Black Rod), Guy Bellsario and E. F. Moulder. Among the many beautiful floral tributes was a wreath with the v20th Battalion colors

— ? v a — green and white. It bore the inscription: I 'With deep regret, from comrades of the I 20th Battalion.' ? 1 AN APPRECIATION (By Captain Morgan Jones). None can more deeply regret the passing of General Lamrock than those who were associated with him on Gallipoli, in Egypt, i and in France. He infused a personality in- ! to the 20th Battalion which permeated it ? right through to the end of the war, and it | is not an exaggeration to say that his own j rugged, lovable, honest and ever scrupulous- 1 ly fair demeanor as a commanding officer, I still influences, in some Way or, other, every I man who passed through that unit — and I they numbered more than 10,000. | General Lamrock died when he was 76, 1 which means that at the time he led tlie 1 20th A.I.F., in 1915, in the unbelievably | arduous campaigns at Gallipoli and France, 1 he had already passed an age when most | men are looking for ease and rest' from the | world's turmoil. Despite his age at that 1 time, however, he possessed the fire and en-i 1 thus'iasm of youth, and had that undefinable j attribute of all 'true leaders of men, of be- 1 ing able, without effort, to inspire to the j greatest heights of achievement, all who. came within his influence. ? It was as early as June, 1916, that, for his outstanding achievements in the field, -he was honored by being appointed a C.B., while, in July of the same year, he wag mentioned in despatches 'for distinguished and gallant services.' The same qualities ; that endeared him to all his comrades on \ active service have, in the last 15 years, j endeared him to those who worked with him in civil life. * . . (By Ex-Soldier) Brigadier- General John Lamrock, C.B.^ V.D., is dead. Plain 'John Lamrock' we \ called him in the 20th, because he said1 i what he meant and meant what he said. ) And what he said was not always com-: ] plimentary. Which reminds me of the clear, \ moonlight night in April, 1916, when we ) first entered the French trenches in the I salient at Bois Grenier. I 'Put that ? mess tin inside your ? ? ! pack!' shouted Colonel Lamrock. ''Do you j Want the whqle ? German army to see I you?' .. ..-??? i Just 18, and the first time 'in,' I wilteii j under the verbal fusillade. Then, seeing my i discomfiture, Colonel Lamrock. added kindly:; } War's war, my son. It takes time to be-: | come a soldier. Come to me if you are ever ) in trouble.' ' . i That was John Lamrock, last man to ; leave Plugge's Plateau, at Gallipoli. A sol- ; dier and a man, his memory will live until ; the 'Last Post' has. sounded for the last f member of his command. i Brigadier- General Lamrock since the war has been president of the Reunion Committee of the 20th Battalion, and president of the 5th Brigade Officers' Association.