Branch of Service

Army

Conflict

World War I (1914-1918)

Date of Enlistment

29/09/1914

Date of Discharge

24/03/1919

Place of Enlistment

Liverpool NSW

Gender

Male

Date of Birth

28/06/1894

Place of Birth

Canberra ACT

Address (at enlistment)

Pound Hill, Queanbeyan NSW (previously Weetangerra/ Weetangera ACT)

School(s) Attended

Weetangerra (Weetangera) School

Occupation

Blacksmith's striker

Next of Kin

Mrs. Annie Lee (mother), Pound Hill, Queanbeyan NSW

Service Number

331

Final Rank

Trooper

Final Unit

7 Light Horse Regiment AIF

Queanbeyan RSL Wall of Remembrance, Crawford St, Queanbeyan NSW
Roll of Honor Queanbeyan Public School, Isabella Street, Queanbeyan NSW
Roll of Honour, St. Stephen's Presbyterian Church, Queanbeyan NSW
Weetangera Honor Roll, St. John's Schoolhouse Museum, Reid ACT

Charlie Lee was born in Canberra and attended school at Weetangera. His father, Harry Lee died in 1900 from consumption and is buried at Lanyon. The Lee family later moved to Queanbeyan and were living at Pound Hill when Charlie enlisted with his mother's permission in September 1914. He was working as a blacksmith's striker in Queanbeyan at the time. Lee served on Gallipoli with the 7th Light Horse Regiment from May 1915 but became ill in July with appendicitis and was evacuated to England. He rejoined his unit in January 1916 and served in the Sinai and Palestine campaigns including the battles at Romani and Gaza. He returned to Australia on 26 December 1918 and was discharged the following March. His younger brother George Lee also served with the 7th Light Horse. Lee married Norma Butler in 1919 and they had at least three children including two sons who served in World War 2. The family was living in Willoughby in Sydney at the time of his death on 25 August 1970.

Description - height 5 feet 5 inches, weight 131 pounds, chest 33-35½ inches, fair complexion, blue eyes, brown hair, Presbyterian.

Rex Cross, 'Bygone Queanbeyan', 1980
Narelle O'Rourke, 'A Country Nurse and Midwife', 1989
Our Queanbeyan 'Boys', Howard & Shearsby, Yass (postcard)
Queanbeyan Age - 15 December 1914, 11 December 1917
NAA RecordSearch - Series B2455 (First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920)