Captain of the Quarter-Deck J. Lee, Royal Navy

"Captain of the Quarter-Deck J. Lee, Royal Navy

H.M.S. Minotaur); ROYAL NAVY L.S. & G.C., V.R., narrow suspension (Jas. Lee, C. Qr. Dk. Men, H.M.S. Vincent), officially impressed naming; KHEDIVE’S STAR 1882, the reverse engraved, ‘J. Lee, 1882’, contact marks and edge bruising, good fine and better (4)  £700-800 James Lee was born in the parish of St. Mary’s, Southampton, in December 1859 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in January 1875. He subsequently joined H.M.S. Shah as a Boy 1st Class in September 1876, aboard which ship he remained employed until the end of 1879, gaining advancement to Able Seaman. In that period the Shah took part in the engagement with the Peruvian iron-clad turret ship Huascar on 29 May 1877. In company with the corvette Amethyst, Shah engaged the rebel iron-clad for three hours but, owing to her heavy armour, the Huascar managed to escape to shallow waters at the close of day; a subsequent cutting out expedition also failed. Lee was subsequently among those Bluejackets landed for service in the Zulu War in 1879 (Medal & clasp). In April 1882, he joined the Minotaur, in which ship he was present in operations off Egypt in 1882 (Medal; Khedive’s Star) and gained advancement to Petty Officer. Having then been appointed Captain of Quarter-Deck Men, he was awarded his L.S. & G.C. in February 1893 and pensioned ashore in May 1898; he subsequently served in the Royal Fleet Reserve from December 1904 until December 1909.

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James Lee's Medals