A Great War 1916 ‘Western Front’ M.M. group of four awarded to Sergeant E. Lee, 15th Battery, Canadian Field Artillery

Military Medal, G.V.R. (83851 Gnr: E. Lee. 15/By: Can: F.A.); 1914-15 Star (83851 Gnr: E. Lee. Can: Fd: Art:); British War and Victory Medals (83851 Sjt. E. Lee. C.F.A.) tarnished, very fine (4) £300-£400

M.M. London Gazette 18 July 1917. The original recommendation states:

‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty at Railway Embarkment near Vimy, on May 13th 1916. When his battery was being heavily shelled, both entrances to the deep dugout were blown in by enemy shells, with delay action fuzes. There were five men in the dugout at the time, which had not been connected up between the two entrances. Gunners Lee and Crocker seeing the situation and knowing that the men could not last long in the small dugout, despite the hostile shelling dug an opening into the dugout, and liberated the imprisoned men. The men relieved were in a very exhausted condition, and it was due to the great courage and resourcefulness displayed by those two men that the lives of the five men in the dugout were saved.’

Edgar Lee was born in March 1891. He enlisted in the 15th Battery, 4th Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery at Toronto, Ontario, in December 1914. Lee served with the Battery in the French theatre of War and was demobilised in May 1919.