James Lee was working as a teamster at Tinwald, south Canterbury, when he joined the Canterbury Infantry Regiment in October, 1916. He was originally from Blackpool in Ireland.
He was wounded on December 20, 1917 - a wound described in his army record as: "gsw hip & penetrating bladder." It occurred in he Polygon Wood area at a time when nothing in particular is recorded in the Canterburys' Official History. For James Lee, of course, it was a devastating occurrence. His record shows him on the "dangerously ill" list from January until April 1918, when he is reported as "seriously ill." He was strong enough to be repatriated at the end of that year.
His injuries included a partial dislocation of his hip and he was admitted to the Christchurch Orthopedic Hospital on arrival in New Zealand. It is likely that he did not leave it until his death.
Ashburton Cemetery.
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