Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Sidney Lee was the son of Joseph and Annis (Annie) Elizabeth (née Ackroyd) Lee. He was born on 16 August 1898 at Temuka, South Canterbury, the third of eight children (seven boys and one girl) born in New Zealand. Sidney was educated at Temuka School, along with four of his brothers, leaving in May 1908 for Queensland. The Lee family members were early settlers in New Zealand, Sidney’s grandparents, Edward and Harriet Lee, having migrated in the mid 1860s. Sidney enjoyed success at Temuka School in his first year (1904) – a prize for first place Boys in Preparatory 1 (upper division) and a prize for attendance. He was to the fore again the following year, gaining Merit for Boys in Preparatory IV and Third Class for attendance. In 1906 he was placed third for Merit prizes for Standard I Boys. Shortly before their departure for Queensland, Sidney and Leo Lee, and other brothers, were awarded prizes at St Peter’s Sunday School. The prizes comprised well-bound Bibles, prayer books and storybooks. His father was the proprietor of the Bull's Head Butchery at Temuka. The family moved to Australia in 1908, to take up land. Joseph Lee and his father, Edward, visited Queensland in 1907 and, favourably impressed, took up land on Darling Downs and set about winding up their business affairs at Temuka. A presentation was made to Mr E. Lee, a Temuka resident held in high esteem and whose departure was much regretted, in January 1908 when he was about to leave Temuka. Messrs J. and W. Lee also spoke on this occasion – Joseph and Walter, his sons and the fathers of the servicemen who were go to war with the Australian forces. The health was proposed of Messrs J., R. and W. Lee, sons of Mr Edward Lee. Mrs Lee was bade farewell at a gathering arranged by the Ladies Guild and choir of St Peter’s Church in May 1908 as she prepared to join her husband in Queensland. On 27 May Mrs Edward Lee and Mr and Mrs Joseph Lee and family left Temuka for Queensland. Three generations of the Lee family had been valuable members of the Temuka community. Having suffered the effects of drought, Mr Edward Lee and some of his family intended returning to New Zealand in early 1912, but he was to die in Queensland in August 1912. Mrs E. Lee returned to New Zealand in February following and lived for some years with her son Rufus at Temuka. In 1921 a presentation was made to Mrs E. Lee, one of the oldest members of the Temuka Parish Church, and “still a consistent and ardent worker for it”. A Temuka Leader article, of 24 January 1924, recalling the arrival of the Victory in March 1866, Mr and Mrs Edward Lee among her passengers, mentioned that Mrs Lee was still at Temuka, “hale and hearty”. She too returned to Australia where she died in 1934. Brothers Joseph and Walter Lee engaged in wheat-growing in Australia, and in 1917, when their sons were preparing to go and serve at war, they harvested a record crop of wheat off their St Ronan’s (Queensland) property. Sidney Lee, 5055, enlisted with the 41st Battalion at Toowoomba, Queensland, on 27 April 1917. Just 18 years 8 months old, he was a labourer, single and of Church of England affiliation. Both his parents consented to his application to enlist, as he was under 21 years of age. He nominated his father as next-of-kin – Mr Jos Lee, Brookstead, Pittsworth, Queensland. He was of slight build, standing at 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighing 120 pounds and with a chest measurement of 32-34 inches. His complexion was fresh, his eyes brown and his hair dark brown. He was free of any diseases and deformities. He could see the required distance with either eye. His heart and lungs were healthy. He had the free use of his joints and limbs. He was free of all diseases and defects which may have rendered him unfit for the duties of a soldier. His right arm bore two vaccination marks. He declared that he was not subject to fits of any description. Thus he was considered fit for Active Service. His Will was lodged with Joseph Lee, Farmer, Brookstead, via Pittsworth, Queensland. Private Sidney Lee embarked at Sydney on 14 June 1917 per “Hororata”, with the 41st Battalion, and disembarked at Liverpool in August. Jos Lee, Sidney’s father, wrote from his home at Brookstead on 12 August 1917, to Base Records in Melbourne, requesting Sidney’s address. Sidney left Brookstead for Brisbane on 25 May, came home on final leave on 9 June and went back on 11 June. Mr Lee heard that he (Sidney) had left Brisbane on Tuesday, 12th and sailed from Sydney on 15th. “Anyway he was packed off in such a hurry, he had no time to write. His number when he went into Camp was 19669, but I do not know in which Battalion he was placed, or w[h]ere to write to him.” The response was – No. 5055 Private S. Lee. 14th Reinforcements, 31st Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, Abroad. He proceeded overseas to France from Southampton on 27 December 1917, having been transferred from the 41st Battalion to the 14th Reinforcements. On 4 January 1918, in France, he was transferred to the 31st Battalion. Private Lee was admitted to hospital in France on 4 May 1918 and to L of C Hospital, France, on 6 May 1918, sick. It was 6 July when he was discharged from hospital, and 17th when he rejoined his Battalion. In August 1918 he was off for three weeks suffering with Trench Fever. On 30 September 1918 Sidney Lee was Wounded in Action. The next day he was admitted to hospital in France, having been hit on his left foot with shrapnel, and was off for a few days. On 19 October he returned to the Front. He was granted Leave on 28 December 1918. In April 1919 he went to England and was admitted to Codford. Private Sidney Lee embarked for the return to Australia on 12 June 1919 per “Thermistocles”, with no disability at that time, and it was recommended that he be demobilised. Having reached Australia on 10 August, he was discharged on 11 September 1919. For his service he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. Sidney Lee and seven other returned soldiers were accorded a welcome home in Horn’s Hall at Brookstead on 18 August 1919. The Pampas and Brookstead Mothers’ Guild was responsible for the arrangements. The hall was beautifully decorated with flags and bunting. The returned soldiers marched through the hall to their seats on the stage, amid great applause. Several dignitaries addressed the audience and the chairman presented each of the soldiers with a cheque of £5 as an appreciation gift from the residents of Pampas and Brookstead. Sergeant P. Sullivan returned thanks on behalf of the “Diggers”, paying special tribute to the women working in various patriotic organisations. The boys on the stage had often received parcels of comforts while they were abroad. A musical programme and dainty refreshments were enjoyed, and the hall was cleared for dancing which continued until about 5 am. Sidney married Ida May Holmes on 13 September 1927 in Queensland. Sidney and Ida lived at Brookstead and Pittsworth until shortly before his death at Toowoomba. He engaged in farming, selling shorn merino and comeback ewes, merino ewes, cross-bred lambs, at the Brisbane Fat Stock and Produce Brokers’ Association sales throughout 1931. In the 1960s and 1970s their property at Pittsworth was named “Waitohi”, presumably after his roots in South Canterbury. Perhaps their son, Colin Gordon Lee, took over the property. The Pittsworth branch of the Fathers’ Association entertained 350 ex-servicemen and women at luncheon at the 1947 Anzac commemorations, a function which had been inaugurated in 1946 and proved very successful and popular. Perhaps Sidney was among the ex-servicemen so honoured, and again in subsequent years. The speakers in 1949 “emphasised the duty of all Australians to fittingly observe their greatest national day, to impress upon the younger generation the importance and the honour of maintaining the British way of life, under which all dwelt in a brotherhood, part of the great brotherhood of mankind.” Sidney Lee lost his oldest brother, Leonidas Lee, who was killed in action in 1918 in France, and his cousin, Walter Ashton Lee, who was also killed in action in 1918 in France. Another cousin, Gordon Rufus Lee, of Temuka, served in World War II. Sidney’s parents and his only sister, Millie, visited Temuka from Queensland in 1930 and were the guests of Mrs Lee’s sister at Rangitira Valley. His mother, Mrs Annis Lee died in 1936 and his father, Mr Joseph Lee in 1947, after a lengthy illness. They are buried in the Toowoomba Cemetery. Sidney Lee died on 20 November 1978, in Queensland, aged 80 years. His wife, Ida May Lee, died on 23 January 1983. They may have been cremated, as both are commemorated in the Toowoomba Garden of Remembrance.

Sources

Australian Imperial Force Attestation Paper (National Archives of Australia) [28 September 2019]; Temuka Leader, 24 December 1904, 16 December 1905, 15 December 1906, 7 September 1907, 19 & 28 May 1908, 15 August 1911, 13 February 1913, 1 May 1913, 6 February 1917, 18 June 1921, 24 January 1924, 30 January 1930, Timaru Herald, 28 May 1908 (Papers Past) [09 May 2014; 27 September 2019; 01 October 2019]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [09 May 2014]; School Admission records (South Canterbury Branch) [09 August 2014]; Toowoomba Chronicle, 19 August 1919, The Week (Brisbane), 17 June 1931, 24 June 1931, 2 September 1931, Pittsworth Sentinel, 4 March 1947, 18 April 1947, 29 April 1947 [x 2], 26 April 1949, 28 April 1950 (Trove) [30 September 2019; 01 October 2019]; Queensland BDM Indexes (Queensland Government & ancestry.com.au) [29 September 2019]; New Zealand & Australian Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au); Toowoomba Garden of Remembrance records (Find a Grave Index, per ancestry.com.au)

External Links

Related Documents

• LEE - Leonadis, Sidney & Walter Ashton - newspaper clippings (pdf, 1016.9 KB updated 11-Feb-2020)

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

TS