LATE COLONEL LEE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 232, 20 December 1927, Page 16

LATE COLONEL LEE

LONG MILITARY CAREER Colonel John Henry Alexander Lee, who died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. D. F. T. Bruce, in Shipherd Av., Epsom, on Sunday, had a distinguished career, principally in the Royal Australian Engineers. Colonel Lee wa.s educated at Edinburgh and trained at Chatham on board the training ship Worchester. He rose to the rank of second mate before he left the sea and settled in Australia. He commanded the R.N.A. Volunteers in Sydney from 1883 to ISBB, and was then appointed by the New South Wales Government to command and raise permanent submarine mining engineers in Sydney. He returned to England in 1892, where he was engaged in Admiralty works. During the South African War Colonel Lee served as the second in command of the First Commonwealth Horse, being later promoted to colonel. He was the military commander of the South Australian forces until lie retired through age in 1911. During the war ho held the position of embarkation officer. Colonel Lee loved the military life so well that ho volunteered for active service in practically every British expedition in the last 40 years. He is survived by two daughters, Mrs. F. Knight, of Surrey,, England, and Mrs. Bruce, of Epsom. There are four grandchildren. The colonel spent the last three years of his life in New Zealand.