Medals for Services at Sea from the Collection of the Late Oliver Stirling Lee

A remarkable family group:

Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., wide suspension (Robt. Hy. Lee, Grs. Mate, H.M.S. Excellent, 24 Ys.), engraved naming, bent suspension bar and refixed claw, with traces of solder, edge bruise, otherwise good very fine

Three: Cooper T. Lee, Royal Navy

Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, no clasp (Cooper, H.M.S. Iris); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., narrow suspension (Cooper, H.M.S. Asia), impressed naming; Khedive’s Star 1882, good very fine and better

Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., narrow suspension (Jas. Lee, Armourer, H.M.S. Modeste), impressed naming, edge nicks, good very fine

Four: Chief Armourer J. B. Lee, Royal Navy

1914-15 Star (340659 Ch. Arm., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (340659 Ch. Amr., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (340659 Ch. Armourer, H.M.S. Implacable), one or two edge bruises, good very fine

Five: Flight Lieutenant N. R. C. Lee, Royal Air Force

1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals; Royal Air Force L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue (363518 F./Sgt., R.A.F.), good very fine and better (14) £600-800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals for Services at Sea from the Collection of the Late Oliver Stirling Lee.

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Robert Henry Lee was born ‘at sea’ in September 1813 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy rating in January 1829. In his subsequent career of 24 years he does not appear to have witnessed any active service and was pensioned ashore in March 1855 as a Gunner’s Mate, in all probability the same month in which he was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal.

Thomas Lee was born in Portsmouth in January 1849, the elder son of Robert Henry Lee, then serving as a Gunner’s Mate aboard the paddle frigate H.M.S. Penelope, and entered the Royal Navy as a Cooper in July 1869. He was subsequently awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in August 1879 and witnessed active service aboard H.M.S. Asia during the Egypt operations of 1882. Thomas was finally pensioned ashore in July 1889, still in the rate of Cooper.

James Lee was born in Portsmouth in March 1852, the younger son of Robert Henry Lee, then serving ashore as a Gunner’s Mate at H.M.S. Excellent, and entered the Royal Navy as Armourer’s Crew in March 1870. Awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in September 1880 and advanced to Chief Armourer in December 1890, he does not appear to have witnessed any active service and was finally pensioned ashore in March 1903, after brief service as a Chief Armourer (Pensioner).

James Bartlett Lee was born in Portsmouth in March 1877, the son of the aforementioned James Lee, then serving as an Armourer in the troopship Tamar, and grandson of Robert Henry Lee, and entered the Royal Navy as Armourer’s Crew in June 1895. Awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in June 1910, he went on to witness active service in the Great War aboard the battleship H.M.S. Vengeance between August 1914 and July 1915, initially off the Cameroons but afterwards in the Dardanelles, including her supporting bombardments at the assorted Gallipoli landings. He then attended Vivid II in the second half of that year, before rejoining the Vengeance and seeing service in the East Indies and off East Africa. From March 1917 he was employed at Pembroke II and was pensioned ashore in December 1919.

Norman Robert Charles Lee was born in Gillingham, Kent in November 1907, the son of the aforementioned James Bartlett Lee, then serving as a Chief Armourer aboard H.M.S. Majestic, and a grandson of James Lee and a great grandson of Robert Henry Lee. He entered the Royal Air Force as a Halton Apprentice in January 1923, aged 16 years, and was first commissioned in May 1941, his subsequent advancement to Acting Flight Lieutenant taking place in January 1944. He retired in October 1947.