Francis Martin Lee

Rank:	Sapper
Street:	13 Ward's Terrace
Townland:
Town/Village:	Longford
Civil Parish:	Templemichael
Catholic Parish:	Templemichael
Country:
Alternative Address:	Brackenagh, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway
Census 1901:	Resident at Brackenagh, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Galway/Ballinasloe_Urban/Brackenagh/1366856/
Census 1911:	Resident at Ward's Terrace, Longford http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Longford/Longford_No__1_Urban/Ward_s_Terrace/651695/
Regiment/Unit:	Royal Engineers, 95th Field Company/ Army Service Corps
Regiment Number:	95960
Date of Death:	03-12-1916
Cause:	Killed in action, France
Memorial:	Serre Road Cemetery No.1, Serre-les-Puisieux, Pas-de-Calais, France
Information:	Francis was born near Ballinasloe, Co. Galway c.1895. He was the son of James Lee, an ex-RIC Sergeant, who himself was from Co. Longford, and Sara Anne, who was Scottish. James served near Ballinasloe, where Francis and his siblings were born. By 1911, after James's retirement, the family moved to Wards Terrace in Longford town. Prior to the war, Francis worked as a blacksmith with the Maguire Coach Company on Richmond Street. Spr Lee enlisted in Longford town, in April 1915 at the age of 20, as specifically as a 'wagon smith', although his initial attestment listed blacksmith. He was initially attached to the Army Service Corps, (A.S.C.) before being transferred to the Royal Engineers in May of that year. Francis's brother, Charles Lee, served in the Great War with the Royal Field Artillery.
Parents Names:	Son of James Lee and Sarah Ann (née Deaine) of 13 Ward's Terrace, Longford.
Notes:	Francis was unusually tall for this period, standing exactly 6 feet in height. An interesting fact about Lee's enlistment is that the Royal Engineers were had a special recruitment drive for blacksmiths and similar trades up to the 14 March 1915.
Links:	Link to CWGC entry; link to Civil Record of birth;