Herbert Lee
Prior to enlisting into the Army, Herbert was employed as a warehouseman/stock keeper at a business on Hockley, Nottingham.
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
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Herbert Lee was born in 1893 at Leek, Staffordshire he was the son of the late Joseph Goode Lee – stated on Herbert’s Certificate of Marriage to be a General Merchant residing at “Elmsdale” Attenborough, Nottingham and Sarah Ann Lee née Moss.
His father Joseph Goode Lee was born in 1862 at Leek, Staffordshire, he died on 2nd July 1915 at Nottingham, he was 63 yrs old, his mother Sarah Ann Moss was born in 1859 at Rushton, Staffordshire, they were married on 14th April 1881 at St Edward Chruch, Leeek Staffordshire, they had 6 children.
On 3 July 1913 Herbert married Dorothy May Theobald, Spinster, (born 5th January 1894) at the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel on Broad Street, Nottingham. They were both aged 19 years.
Dorothy lived on Gregory Boulevard, Nottingham. Her father was John Edward Theobald (deceased), a Lace Designer.
Following their marriage Herbert and Dorothy lived at 92 Leslie Road, Forest Fields, Nottingham where they subsequently raised their family.
There were two children from this marriage, Frances May Lee (born 15th January 1914) and Dorothy May Lee (born on 04 September 1916), while Herbert was serving in the army and he was given two weeks compassionate leave from his regiment to visit his new daughter back home in Nottingham.
Herbert enlisted at Derby and served firstly in the 3rd and then the 2/6th Battalion Sherwood Foresters.
The Battalion was first sent to Ireland in 1916 and there assisted in putting down the Irish Rebellion. In February 1917 they were at No. 6 Camp Hurdcott in Wiltshire and it was from here that they left to go overseas to France. They actually left on 26 February 1917 and arrived at Boulogne late on the 26th, spending the night in St Martin's Camp. On the 28th they marched to Pont de Metz. They now moved around the battlefield holding various positions and being engaged in many actions both of a defensive nature and raiding and attacking German positions. By March 1918 the German were pushing he allies back a considerable distance. The 2/6th Battalion suffered a very heavy bombardment and heavy raid by the Germans on the 21st March at Mory L’ Abbaye. Many men were taken prisoner here and Lee may have been one of them. The War Diary does not mention missing or prisoners on any other occasion, although it does give details of wounded and dead.
Post cards subsequently received by the family from the PoW Camp Parchim (Stalag 3) substantiate his capture to be the case.
The battalion was disbanded in July 1918 and the men were sent to strengthen up other line battalions
From what is known of his capture and subsequent employment on the German railway, it would appear that he may have been working on the 29th October 1918 in this area of France, at which time, the British commenced a bombardment of the German lines and rear areas. It may have been then that he was killed by fire from British guns directed at the Germans. Having no known grave his name is commemroated on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial Panel 7
This page has been researched by Herbert Lee's grandson Brian Disney.
His brother Private Joseph Goode Lee enlisted on 11 December 1915 at Nottingham but placed in the Army Reserve until mobilised on 2 June 1916; posted to the 3rd Bn. Lincolnshire Regiment [Service No.50173]; sent to France 18 September 1916 and placed in 1st Bn. Lincolnshire Regiment; transferred to 11 Bn. Lincolnshire Regiment on 12 October 1916; sent back to England on 7 May 1917; posted to the 3rd Bn. East Yorkshire Regiment on 22 June 1917; returned to France on 27 July 1917; subsequently transferred to 11th Bn. East Yorkshire Regiment on 15 August 1917; died of his wounds; buried at Longuenesse (St Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.
additional research and information Peter Gillings
