| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Private William Lee of the East Yorkshire regiment was killed in action on 3 May 1917 but was initially posted as “missing”. It wasn’t until almost 9 months later that his parents were informed that he had been killed as reported in the Beverley Guardian of 23 Mar 1918. He is buried at the Orchard Dump Cemetery at Arleux-En-Gohelle in France. William was awarded the War and Victory Medals.
William enlisted in Beverley in 1916 joining the 10th Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment, the 1st Hull Pals, also referred to as “The Commercials”. His army number indicates that he wasn’t an original recruit but was a replacement. William was killed in the action at Oppy Wood in the Battle of Arras on 3 May 1917.
William was born in Jul 1896 at Meaux and baptised at Wawne parish church on 4 Jul 1896. He was the youngest child in a farming family that had moved to the area in the 1890s from Kings Lynn. William’s father, Jonathan was a shepherd; the family lived on Sud Farm at Meaux in 1901 and in 1911 at a farm in Leconfield. All four of William’s siblings either became farm workers or married into farming families. At the time of the war the family moved into Beverley, living at 62 Norwood. William attended St Mary’s Boys’ School. He was unmarried.
William is remembered on the Norwood Street Shrine, on the Hengate Memorial and on the East Riding Memorial in Beverley Minster. He is also listed on the St Mary’s Boys’ School and St Mary’s Church Rolls of Honour.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |