SAPPER ROBERT WILLIAM LEE
623 – 2nd Tunnelling Company / Aust Electrical & Mechanical Mining & Boring Company
Robert William Lee was born at Washpool, Bungaree Run, South Australia on May 12, 1871 with his birth registered at Clare, S.A., the son of Robert and Sarah Ann (nee Wilmhurst) Lee. He served a four-year apprenticeship with C.E. Walden of Clare, S.A. as a boot-maker.
He married at Broken Hill, New South Wales in 1900 to Effie Juliana Allington and was working as a miner.
Recruiting for volunteers to join the Mining Corps was announced and an officer for enrolment was in Broken Hill with details published in the:
Robert Lee put his name on the list that evening. A month later on October 28 he passed the preliminary medical examination and was declared fit to go to Adelaide, S.A. for processing for the Mining Corps.
Their farewell was reported in the:
In Adelaide, S.A. at the recruiting depot the same day he passed the medical examination and details taken reveal he was 171cms (5ft 7½ins) tall, weighed 59.5kgs (131lbs) with a chest expansion of 85-92cms (33½-36ins). Complexion was dark with brown eyes that tested to fair vision and dark hair. Distinctive marks were four vaccination scars on his left arm. Religious faith was Church of England and nominated his wife Mrs Effie Juliana Lee of Lane lane off Zebina Street, Broken Hill, NSW as next-of-kin. He was sworn in the same day.
Basic training began in Adelaide for the Miners’ Corps with the 2nd Depot Battalion. The recruits were then sent to the Mining Corps’ training camp at Casula near Liverpool, NSW where he was assigned to the No. 2 company of the Corps in the rank of Sapper with the regimental number 623.
At a civic parade in the Domain, Sydney on Saturday February 19, 1916, a large crowd of relations and friends of the departing Miners lined the four sides of the parade ground. Sixty police and 100 Garrison Military Police were on hand to keep the crowds within bounds. The scene was an inspiriting one. On the extreme right flank, facing the saluting base, were companies of the Rifle Club School; next came a detachment of the 4th King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, then the bands of the Light Horse, Liverpool Depot, and the Miners’ on the left, rank upon rank, the Miners’ Battalion.
The Corps boarded HMAT A38 Ulysses in Sydney, NSW on February 20 and sailed for the European theatre. Arriving in Melbourne, Victoria on February 22 the Miners camped at Broadmeadows for a stay of 7 days while further cargo was loaded.
Another parade was held at the Broadmeadows camp on March 1, the Miners’ Corps being inspected by the Governor-General, as Commander-in-Chief of the Commonwealth military forces.
Leaving Melbourne on March 1, Ulysses arrived at Fremantle, Western Australia on March 7 where a further 53 members were taken on board.
On Wednesday March 8, 1916 the whole force, with their band and equipment, paraded at Fremantle prior to leaving Victoria Quay at 9.30 o’clock.
The ship hit a reef when leaving Fremantle harbour, stripping the plates for 40 feet and, although there was a gap in the outside plate, the inner bilge plates were not punctured. The men on board nicknamed her ‘Useless’. The Miners were off-loaded and sent to the Blackboy Hill Camp where further training was conducted.
The Mining Corps comprised 1303 members at the time they embarked with a Headquarters of 40; No.1 Company – 390; No.2 Company – 380; No.3 Company – 392, and 101 members of the 1st Reinforcements.
Finally departing Fremantle on April 1, Ulysses voyaged via Suez, Port Said and Alexandria in Egypt. The Captain of the shipwas reluctantto take Ulysses out of the Suez Canal because he felt the weight of the ship made it impossible to manoeuvre in the situation of a submarine attack. The troops were transhipped to HM Transport B.1 Ansonia, then on to Valetta, Malta before disembarking at Marseilles, France on May 5, 1916. As a unit they entrained at Marseilles on May 7 and detrained on May 11 at Hazebrouck.
A ‘Mining Corps’ did not fit in the British Expeditionary Force, and the Corps was disbanded and three Australian Tunnelling Companies were formed. The Technical Staff of the Corps Headquarters, plus some technically qualified men from the individual companies, was formed into the entirely new Australian Electrical and Mechanical Mining and Boring Company (AEMMBC), better known as the ‘Alphabetical Company’.
The No. 2 Company became the 2nd Tunnelling Company in the field.
With his civil qualifications of boot-maker and miner these skills were more beneficial to the work of the Aust Electrical & Mechanical Mining & Boring Company therefore was transferred to the company on September 29, 1916 and taken on strength on September 30.
Service continued without incident until he went sick on March 30, 1917 to the 15th Casualty Clearing Station and admitted with Broncho-pneumonia until discharged to his unit on April 13. On May 15 was admitted again to the 15 C.C.S. with Bronchitis and on May 19 transferred to the 3rd Canadian Hospital in Boulogne then moved to the 7th Convalescent Depot on May 21. The next day was sent to 39th General Hospital for treatment of a social disease until June 11 and after twenty-four days was discharged to the Aust General Base Depot in Havre for Base Details. He marched out to rejoin his unit on June 6, 1917.
On November 16, 1917 he went sick to the New Zealand Stationary Hospital then to 1st C.C.S. diagnosed with Myalgia (muscular pain) and conveyed to the 56th General Hospital three days later. On November 24 he left Etaples to be transported to England on the hospital ship Ville de Liege suffering Pleurisy and debility entering the 1st Southern General Hospital in Dudley Road with Myalgia.
Released to the 1st Aust Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield on December 24, 1917 remained a patient until discharged to furlough on January 2, 1918 and to report to the No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth on January 16.
Reporting as ordered he marched in to the Depot from Headquarters to await his return to Australia.
Sapper Lee embarked for home on January 31, 1918 on board H.T. Osterley for discharge in Australia due to Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis. His name was recorded in the Defence Department’s list which was published in the:
The ship docked in Melbourne (3rd M.D.) and he departed for Adelaide (4th M.D.) arriving on April 13, 1918. While waiting for his discharge the following was printed in the:
Military Discharge was issued in Adelaide (4th M.D) on June 7, 1918 as medically unfit. He returned to his wife in Broken Hill.
His name is listed for relief work during the following year which appeared in the:
For serving his country Sapper 623 Robert William Lee, 2nd Tunnelling Company / Aust Electrical & Mechanical Mining & Boring Company was issued with the British War Medal (10076) and the Victory Medal (10012).
At the 1921 Anzac Day commemorative service in Broken Hill the following article was published in the:
His name was published among those listed for relief work in the:
Robert William Lee passed away on December 23, 1933 aged 62 years. Family arrangements were published in the:
His funeral was reported in the local newspaper:
A South Australian newspaper also published his demise in the:
His grave is located in the Broken Hill Cemetery in the Church of England portion within section N in grave 24A and has a war grave plaque.
His name is commemorated in the Garden of Remembrance at Rookwood Necropolis on Wall 2, Row L.
A Statement of Service was sent from Base Records to the Repatriation Commission on January 24, 1934.
© Donna Baldey 2013