Name
Charles Edwin Lee (*1)
27 September 1895
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/04/1917
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Able Seaman
Z/5260
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Drake Bn. R.N. Div.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 1.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
St Mary's Church Memorial, Apsley End, John Dickinson & Co Memorial, Apsley Mills, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial
Pre War
*1 Appears as C E Lea on the John Dickinson memorial.
Charles Edwin Lee was born on 27 September 1895, the son of William and Ellen Lee and the youngest of ten children, although three died in infancy. On the 1901 Census the family were living at Frogmore Cottages, Apsley End, where his father was working as a Millwright. His father had worked as a Blacksmith in Devon.
They had moved to 10 Durrants Hill, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, by 1911 at which time Charles was working as a Vellum Binder in the Book Binding Department of the Paper Mill, (J Dickinson & Co, Apsley Mills). He was apprenticed as a Vellum Binder for seven years.
His parents later lived at 18 Two Waters Road, Hemel Hempstead, and 48 Winifred Road, Apsley End, Hemel Hempstead, Herts.
Wartime Service
Once his seven year apprenticeship to John Dickinson & Co Ltd was completed, he was able to enlist into the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, which he did on 18 December 1915.
He was initially posted to HMS Victory IX, a shore based training establishment at Portsmouth, and assigned to the 4th Reserve Battalion RNVR. After training he was transferred to the 3rd Reserve Battalion and promoted to Able Seaman in October 1916.
He was drafted to the Drake Battalion on 21 November 1916. (N.B. the Drake Battalion was made up of the surplus of men of the reserves of the Royal Navy who could not find jobs on any ship of war. They were therefore formed into two Naval Brigades and a Brigade of Marines for operations on land.) He was sent to France, arriving at Calais Base Camp, on 12 December 1916, but was immediately admitted to hospital suffering from influenza, and remained there until 3 January 1917. He returned to his unit four days later but was not fully recovered and was re-admitted to a Field Ambulance on 12 February 1917 and re-joined the battalion on 20 February 1917.
He first saw action in April at the 2nd Battle of the Scarpe (part of the Arras Offensive) when Drake Battalion attacked Gavrelle. The Battalion were successful in reaching the objectives and consolidating the position, but there was a strong German counter-attack, with continuous heavy bombardment and machine gun fire, which resulted in many casualties.
Charles was one of those was killed in action on 23 April 1917, aged 21, having seen action for less than one day. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on Arras Memorial.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.dacorumheritage.org.uk, www.hemelatwar.org., www.hemelheroes.com.
