LEE/BLOCKSIDGE FAMILY TREE

G6

James Price LEE

Sarah Jane BLOCKSIDGE

Buried at Isleworth Cemetery, Grave 90, Class C, block R. Register Book IV Page 48 No. 5221

 James Norman LEE (click images to enlarge)

Before the war, James Lee was a ‘compositor’ working in a company correcting type and assembling text and illustrations for printing. It was a very skilled job. He lived his short life at the Grand Junction Wharf in Brentford with his many brothers and sisters. In earlier years his father is recorded as a groom, but by 1911 his father was a ‘Stableman and Foreman’. The family were clearly hard workers. His sisters, Edith and Alice were dress-makers. Benjamin, his older brother was a barge builder and his younger brothers were a ‘weaver of iron wire’ and an errand boy.

James enlisted in the army at Brentford, and would have been about 23 years old. He originally joined the 21st London Regiment, but later joined the 2nd (City of London) Battalion (Royal Fusiliers). When war broke out in August 1914 his Battalion was in Calcutta. They departed for England as soon as they could, arriving back in December. In March 1915, the Battalion then embarked for Gallipoli where they were involved in heavy fighting until they were evacuated to Egypt in January 1916. In March, these war weary men were then moved to Marseilles in France and travelled by train and on foot to engage in the various actions at the battles of the Somme.

As James’s enlistment date is not recorded, it is not known when he joined his regiment. In March 1916 the Military Service Act was passed imposing conscription on most single men between 18 – 41yrs. James may or may not have served abroad, but he was certainly in France on 15th September 1916 where he is recorded as having ‘died from wounds’.

James is buried at Bronfay Farm, Military Cemetery, Bray-sur-Somme (Grave Ref 1.A.19.). In 1916 the farm became a casualty clearing station, located a few miles behind the front line. It is likely that James was wounded in one of the battles of the Somme - after his Battalion went into action in July, and he was possibly bought back here for medical attention.

(This article was created by Jackie Fairweather and a small group of volunteers along with nine local schools who are trying to find out something about all 390 soldiers on their local war memorial in Isleworth West London. Visit www.isleworthww1.co.uk for details.)

Remembrance Sunday 2016 - James Norman Lee was one of the 74 men known to have died in 1916, the particular focus of the Remembrance Sunday event at 10.45am, Memorial Square Isleworth, at the junction of South Street and Twickenham Road on Sunday 13th November 2016. One of the local school children will be wearing a sash with his name on and walking in his memory; s/he will also receive a scroll and a summary page of the research that has been carried out. Details will be uploaded to the website after the ceremony.