Herbert Lee
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
He was the son of Joseph Goode Lee – stated on Herbert’s Certificate of Marriage to be a General Merchant residing at “Elmsdale” Attenborough, Nottingham. On 03 July 1913 Herbert married Dorothy May Theobald, Spinster, 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 Dorothy May Lee Dorothy May was 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.
Vis-En-Artois Memorial Panel 7 This page has been researched by Herbert Lee's grandson Brian Disney.
