William Herbert's Story.
EARLY LIFE
William Herbert Lee was born on 6th August and baptised on 24th September 1882 at the Victoria Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Queens Rd, Cheetham, Manchester, the son of Isabella Newton and William Lee, of 11 St Lukes Terrace.
In 1891, eight year old William was a pupil at a boys preparatory boarding school in South Drive, Lytham St Anne's. Ten years later, he was living at 'Arncliffe', Middleton Rd, Crumpsall with his parents and siblings Sidney (22), Stanley (20), Isabel (15), Mary (13) and Jack (9).
By 1911, William senior had died and the family had moved again, this time to 'Woodside', Hawthorn Lane, Wilmslow, where William, now aged 28 and still single, lived with his widowed mother and younger siblings Isabel (25) and John (19). William was employed as a rubber manufacturer.
WW1 SERVICE
William enlisted with the 1/7th Manchester Regiment at Manchester, which in May 1915 formed part of the 127th Brigade, 42nd (East Lancashire) Division. After his initial training, William landed at Gallipoli on 18th August 1915.
In December, the war diary for the 1/7th Manchester Regiment records:
24th December: The Battalion moved to the firing line and took over from a point 40 yards EAST of GULLY and extend to the left to COLNE ROAD inclusive. 1 man to hospital sick.
25th December: From 1700 we were quiet no shots were fired. At 2100 the enemy threw a volley of bombs and rapid fire machine guns and artillery were turned onto our firing line Casualties 2 men killed.
It seems clear from the diary that William actually died on 25th December.
William's death was reported in the Manchester Evening News on 9 August 1917, in the report of his brother's death:
KILLED - Capt. Jack Lee, Cheshire Regiment, of Woodside, Wilmslow, joined the Manchesters as a private on the outbreak of war and obtained his commission in the Cheshires early in 1915.He went to France in the spring of last year, and was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry in action on July 6 1917. Before joining the forces Capt. Lee was in the employ of the Hollins Mill Company Ltd, of Portland Street, Manchester. His brother, Herbert William Lee, who was in the same battalion, was killed in Gallipoli on Christmas Day, 1915.
It seems clear from the diary that William actually died on 25th December.
William's death was reported in the Manchester Evening News on 9 August 1917, in the report of his brother's death:
KILLED - Capt. Jack Lee, Cheshire Regiment, of Woodside, Wilmslow, joined the Manchesters as a private on the outbreak of war and obtained his commission in the Cheshires early in 1915.He went to France in the spring of last year, and was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry in action on July 6 1917. Before joining the forces Capt. Lee was in the employ of the Hollins Mill Company Ltd, of Portland Street, Manchester. His brother, Herbert William Lee, who was in the same battalion, was killed in Gallipoli on Christmas Day, 1915.
COMMEMORATION
Private William Lee is known to be buried in Twelve Tree Copse Cemetery, Gallipoli, Turkey, and he has a memorial stone at Grave Ref. Sp. Mem. C. 67. His mother asked for the following inscription to be added to his memorial:
“DEATH CANNOT DIVIDE. EVER LOVINGLY REMEMBERED. MOTHER & FAMILY, WILMSLOW“
Locally, Private William Lee is commemorated on the Wilmslow (Mill Street) and Wilmslow (St Bartholomew's Church) war memorials.
Research by Rosie Rowley, Congleton.
Research by Rosie Rowley, Congleton.