In Memory of
MAX JOSEPH LAMPERT
Private, B/371167
48th Highlanders of Canada, R.C.I.C.
who died 23 age
on the 18th July 1943
Remembered with honour
AGIRA WAR CEMETERY, SICILY
AGIRA WAR CEMETERY, SICILY
Born:July 09, 1920 Toronto, Toronto Municipality, Ontario, Canada
Enlistment: on the 1st of May 1940 in Toronto.
Son of Joseph and Rose Lampert, of Toronto, Ontario.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, 2009-08-05
Max was killed during a daring attack near Valguarnera together with Corporal Kay which is described below by Kim Beattie in his book "Dileas":"A Young English lad, Cpl. William Frederick Kay, and the third section of No. 17 Platoon, rose to the occasion. Cpl. Kay was on Lt. Handley's far right flank; his section was the whiplash in the swing. He just kept on going, leading his daring little group of 5 Highlanders along dead ground. The depression was carrying them up to the ridge top.
Kay was within 20 yards of the topmost German position, and still unobserved, when he suddenly launched a surprise attack from its flank.
It was an important and formidable position; 17 Germans were in it; they had three machine-guns, all firing at Dog in the valley. A furious bomb-battle broke out. Though wounded in the arm, Cpl. Kay himself huried 32 grenades into and around the position, His Bren gunner was trying to hold German heads down while the bomb-throwing Corporal worked, and then every man in the squad played a brave part in the final rush organized by the Corporal. Kay charged, with his Tommy-gun stuttering as he leapt. The man closest to him was Pte. Bessie Besserman, his Jewish hatred of the Nazis driving him into the position with a stabbing bayonet. He was killed in the hand-to-hand melee, but first paid off racial scores. Every German in the position was either killed or seriously wounded. Kay's bombs had been remarkably deadly.
Kay's captured post had been the Germans' most dominant, but it suddenly became a deadly threat. The Germans had no conception of the true strength of the surprise force of Highlanders, partly at their backs; they could not guess it now only totalled a wounded corporal and 2 fit men. They saw the rest of Lt. Handley's platoon getting ready for a frontal thrust, and gave up. A whistle blew. An officer led a scrambling, headlong retreat down the reverse slope of the ridge to a road where trucks and a half-track vehicle were waiting. Before the Germans reached the vehicles, the 48th snipers and Bren gunners were firing furiously at the running targets.
The German vehicles raced down the road toward Valguarnera with men hanging from the sides and draped over the hoods, with those on foot on the dead run. The entire valley behind the ridge was soon empty.
Within 30 minutes it was seen that something tactically important had been achieved by the gallant section of Dog Company. The Germans had considered this ridge as the key to their defence of Valguernera. When the anchor position fell, the entire defence of the town was ordered abandoned. The 15th Panzer Regiment began retreating on Valguarnera from all across the 1st Brigade's front. They retreated right through.If the reckless rush by Cpl. Kay and his 5 men did not thus win Valguarnera, it certainly had a more salutary effect than any other single episode. Cpl. Kay was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his initiative and daring in a fine fighting exploit.
The Highlanders' losses were 4 men killed, 1 officer and 2 N.C.O's. and 2 men wounded, including Lt. Handley and Cpls. Kay and George (G.A.) Venton. The 4 men killed were Ptes. Bessie (Jack) Besserman, Harold Chivers, Charles (W.J.) Dicks and Max (M.J.) Lampert."
Max lived in Toronto with his parents, one younger sister and one brother. Two of his other brothers served with the RCAF in Canada.
Max enlisted on the 1st of May 1940 in Toronto.
Find Grave, 2025-07-14
Information courtesy of the 