Description
1914 Star, British War & Victory Medal Pair, Bronze Memorial Plaque, Private Joseph lee, 1st Bn Wiltshire Regiment. Killed in Action on 12th March 1915.
Star officially impressed: “8908 Pte J. Lee. 1/Wilts: R.”
Pair officially impressed: “8909 Pte. J. Lee. Wilts. R.”
Memorial Plaque embossed: “JOSEPH LEE”
8909 Private Joseph Lee, was killed in action on 12th March 1915, in France and Flanders serving with the 1st Battalion Duke of Edinburgh’s Wiltshire Regiment.
This action is know as the battle of Spanbroek Mill, in Lindhoek, Belgium.
Joseph was born in Marylebone, London.
He was living in Westbury, Wiltshire and signed up at Devizes for Army service.
Being one of the first to arrive on service in France, he landed for service on 14th August 1914, as part of the 3rd Division’s 7th Brigade.
After arrival they almost immediately took part in the First Battle of Mons and took part in the Great Retreat, followed by the 1st Battle of Ypres in October 1914, by this point the battalion had already lost 26 Officers and over 1,000 Other Ranks.
Joseph lived through these early battles before he met his end on 12th March 1915, during the first and last day of their involvement in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle.
The end of the day listed the following casualties: 4 Officers KIA, 3 officers Wounded, Other Ranks, 29 Killed, 12 missing, 45 wounded. A full account of the battle from the war diary is attached.
