Lee, Stanley Alfred

Stanley Alfred Lee
	Born 30 July 1891
	;
Nickname	Gerry
Place of birth	Cowes, Isle of Wight, England
Allegiance	Canada
Service/branch	Canadian Army
Rank	Colonel
Awards	OBE, MC

Colonel Stanley Alfred Lee, OBE, MC (30 July 1891 - ???) was a Canadian soldier who served in the Canadian Signalling Service during the Great War and the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals in the Second World War.

Early Life

Stanley was born on the Isle of Wight 30 July 1891 (some records indicate his birthdate as 30 August 1891) to parents Samuel and Francis and is known to have had a sister. He attended lectures at Hartley University College, Southampton but did not obtain a degree. He later articled and qualified as a civil engineer.

He served for two years in the 5th Hants Howitzer Battery, Royal Field Artillery.

Service

He served for six months as a Lieutenant in the Governor Generals Body Guard before attesting for the CEF as a Lieutenant in February 1915. He joined the 7th Canadian Mounted Rifles and almost immediately proceeded overseas. Once in England he joined the Canadian Cavalry Depot and during that time received his qualification in Signalling at the Canadian Engineer Training Depot. In February 1916 he joined the Fort Garry Horse as their Signal Officer and proceeded to France that month. He was promoted temporary Captain in September 1916 with effect from 7 June 1916. On 28 March 1917 he was wounded by shrapnel on his right cheek/neck but remained at the front. In August 1917 he was seconded to command the Canadian Cavalry Brigade Signal Troop. Returning to Canada after the war, he was demobilized on 4 June 1919. For his service during the war he was awarded the Military Cross.^[1]

After the Great War, he remained with the military. He was initially a Captain with the RCMGB seconded to Signals duties while awaiting a position in the establishment of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals which he was able to officially join in 1923. He served as District Signal Officer of Militia District 3 prior to proceeding to The Depot at Camp Borden as an instructor. He served briefly as Commandant of The Depot from July to September 1923. In 1929 he was posted as the District Signal Officer in Militia District 10 (Winnipeg). In 1931 he was promoted to the rank of Major and, in addition being D.S.O. MD 10, was also appointed Officer-in-charge of Radio Communications, Manitoba and Saskatchewan Area. He was posted to Ottawa to the office of the Director of Signals in 1932 and attended the Senior Officers School, Sheerness, England in 1934. In 1935 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and assumed the role of Commandant Royal Canadian School of Signals, later Canadian Signal Training Centre, which he held until 1937. In 1937 he was appointed A.A. & Q.M.G. of Militia District 3 until 1938 when he assumed the same role in MD 2.

He was promoted Colonel and made Camp Commandant at Niagra-on-the-Lake in 1940 before taking up the appointment of Commandant of Camp Borden later that same year. In February 1941 he was struck off strength of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals and appointed acting Officer Administering the Canadian Armoured Corps. In April 1941 he was appointed Second in Command of 1st Armoured Brigade and proceeded overseas in November. From March 1942 until March 1943 he commanded "E" Group Canadian Reinforcement Unit. He then returned to Canada in March 1943 to command A33 Canadian Armoured Corps Training Establishment from April to August. In September 1943 he returned overseas to Command 2 Base Replacement Depot, a position he held until January 1945. After that he was first Commander HQ 1 Canadian Base Reinforcement Group until April 1945, then i/c administration 1 Echelon Canadian Section AFHQ until June and finally ADAG(A) at CMHQ from September 1945 until July 1946 when he returned to Canada. For his service in the Second World War he was Mentioned in Despatches in January 1945^[2] and made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in June 1945^[3].

After retirement leave, he retired 24 February 1947.

Personal Life

He married the widow Gladyse Wanita Hamilton (nee Palling) on 13 October 1923 at Kingston Ontario with Capt John Genet serving as the groomsman. Anthony, was born in 1924.