"Fighter Writer" the story of Sergeant Joe Lee

[Ian Robertson]

When the subject of the First World War poets is mentioned, people with even the sketchiest knowledge of the subject would be able to list Sassoon, Brooke, Owen and Graves as being at the forefront of the genre. Enthusiasts would be able to name many more but although he was at the time ranked with the best; Joe Lee’s name is now unknown to almost everyone.

Bob Burrows interest was kindled one day as he was clearing out his mother’s house after her death. He came across a small brown book called “Ballads of Battle” and as he read through it the afternoon’s depressing task was forgotten. Although by his own admission he was no poet critic he was impressed by the contents and wanted to know more about the author. Thinking that it would take no more than a cursory search in this day of the world wide web to find out more about someone who had been a published writer, he was astonished to discover that Joe Lee and his work had disappeared off the literary radar. As a last resort he contacted the Black Watch Museum in Perth and at last he was able to talk to someone who knew something about Lee. He was in turn directed to Dundee University where he found a rich seam of papers and information and further investigative work uncovered Joe’s last two remaining relatives..

The resultant biography of Lee reveals a multi talented individual and chronicles Joe’s life from it’s beginning in a Dundee tenement in 1876 with his parents and 8 siblings through his life as a traveller, cowboy, journalist, drama critic, artist, soldier and of course poet.

On leaving school at age 14, Lee became apprenticed to a firm of solicitors but this did not appeal to his active and curious mind and having completed several years in the job he jumped a ship at Dundee docks and travelled to the Bosporus. After this he lived in Canada for a year working as a cowboy before returning to London where he used his artistic skill as a cartoonist and worked as a journalist.

In 1906 he arrived back in his home town to work in the local newspaper industry where he started to forge a reputation as a poet and artist of note

Although reputedly a man of mild manner this did not stop him in 1914 taking Robert Bridges, the poet laureate of the day, to task regarding remarks that Bridges had made about Roberts Burns and his relish in the exchanges that followed revealed that although mild mannered he did not seem to suffer from an inferiority complex.

When war broke out in 1914 Joe and his colleagues in the editorial staff joined up with the 4th Bat Black Watch and by the end of February 1915 they were despatched to France. From the trenches Joe regularly sent poems and sketches reflecting his experiences back to his newspaper and this combined with two published books of poetry enhanced his national and international standing. In 1917 he received a commission and in October he was transferred to the 10th Bat KRRC but before the year’s end he was captured and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner.

After the war Joe went back to journalism in London and at the relatively late age of 48 married a well known musician called Dorothy Barrie. They spent most of the following years in what seems idyllic domesticity, pursuing their respective professions and interests in the arts and visiting contemporaries. Lee even managed to call on Graves and then Bridges where the time was spent discussing everything but their earlier spat over Burns! All this was brought to an end with the start of the 2nd World War and because of the Blitz and the shortage of petrol it meant that the couple’s house in Epsom had to be closed down for the duration. Joe’s work required that he had to be on hand to put his Newspaper to press and he often slept in his office. The work, poor food and living arrangements did not help his asthma and at 64 years old Joe was not a healthy man. This did not prevent him joining the Home Guard and only when it looked as if the conflict was in his final phase did he feel that he could resign.

When the war was over the couple once more returned to their home town but Joe’s retirement did not last long. He died on the 17th May 1949 aged 72.

Bob Burrows has managed to give an interesting perspective of his subject although you can detect he is a fan and nowhere in the book will you read anything detrimental about Joe. In this compact book which runs to something over 200 pages, he nonetheless manages to include a wealth of information not only about Lee but also about his comrades and their respective fates. The book includes many of Lee’s poems and is liberally illustrated with his pen and pencil sketches. These sketches, in my opinion, form one of the best aspects of the book ranging from the comical depiction of workmen cleaning Burn’s statue, through the simple but sombre “Ypres, Christmas 1916” to the almost etching like quality of the scenes of his prison at Beescow. After reading the book the question that remains is why Joe Lee’s work is now largely forgotten and Burrows concludes the book by advancing several theories as to the reason.

This book would appeal to anyone who was interested in the war poets, the war it’s self or who just wanted to read about a real but forgotten character. It is available on Amazon for £3 cheaper than the publishers price of £16.99 but you may be lucky and pick it up like I did for the bargain £4.99 in a High street cut price book shop.

“FIGHTER WRITER”

By Bob Burrows

Published by Breedon Books

ISBN: 1 85983 399 3

[truthergw]

I enjoyed this book and it has an ideal companion in " Haunting Years" by W.L. Andrews, a journalist who was in 4th BW and mentions Joe Lee in his book.

[Black Jock]

Ian,

Thank you, for your excelent summary on "Fighter Writer." By coincidence, I was looking at Joe Lee's "The Haggis" this afternoon as I have the pleasure of doing "The Immortal Memory" at the Angus Branch Burns Supper.

I have a photo of Joe sketcing in France, it is a poor copy but none the less adds to his memory, I will look it out, and post it.

Wi' spoon and gully-knife and fork

They make the shortest o' short work-

There's ne'er been sic a stabbin'

Since oor boys took the Schwben'

They hack and hew that Haggis

Till a' thats left a rag is!

Tom

[Tom A McCluskey]

Ian,

A very respectable review you have written about Bob Burrow's book covering the interesting life of Joseph Johnston Lee, one of Dundee's 'Fighter Writers'. It is a shame that nowadays he is very much forgotten in the mainstream. I have never seen his poems appear in any books, except his own, of First World War poetry...a wrong that needs to be righted.

In Dundee, he was already a household name; and at the front, a national one. His first wartime poetry book 'Ballads of Battle' which I am lucky enough to have a copy of, was first printed in April 1916, then aqain in July 1916, followed by November 1916, and June 1919. I am also lucky to own his other wartime poetry book Work-a-day-Warriors. All full of his observations and sketches of: life in the trenches, and of his comrades. His work describes everyday goings on along with characters, through which he tries to make things decent, which is marked occasionally with sadness (the death of Jack Nicholson, and the poignant 'Has anyone seen the Sergeant?' after the Battle of Aubers Ridge) and the occasional, but understandable, moment of homesickness such as his dream-like trip to Dundee in 'The Half Hour's Furlough' passing by bits of Dundee. Albeit the whole poem is memorable, the last verse suddenly concludes it, in the same style of rhyme initiated from the moment that he drifts off into his dream:

1st Verse

I thought that a man went home last night

From the trench where the tired men lie,

And walked throught the streets of his old home town-

And I thought that man was I

His dream-like trip passes through scenes of Dundee familiar to all in the battalion...to his home...to his mother's grave..to the rude awakening!

Last Verse

Then I awoke to the sound of guns,

And in my ears was the cry:

"The Second Relief will stand to arms!"

And I rose--for that man was I

He was very much a talent, along with being the peoples' and the soldiers' poet. His poems don't have the underlying theme of plaintive and resonate flat like some maudlin dirge. Generally, he puts humour and rhyme into his poetry, possibly as all of it is dedicated to his comrades (Dedicated to Him), so there is no point in telling them it's bad: they know that. I sense that the poetry has an underlying theme of keeping their chins up and in doing so actually inspired not only many in his battalion to express themselves in poetry, but the people in Dundee too.

Joe Lee by all accounts was quite a likable character. There are many references to him in Haunting Years such as: "Except for the Colonel [Harry Walker], he [Joe Lee] must have been the best-loved man in the battalion" and “He kept us cheerful in our platoon, because when he was with us, no matter how nauseous its smells of the dead and its butcher duties, he never let us forget the background of civilized life.”

Ian, great that you've reminded me of Bob Burrow's work. A good effort too, that Bob himself, has taken the time to research and write about Joe Lee. I need to have a good read of the book. Inside my copy of Work-a-day-Warriors was the newspaper clipping below, I thought it may be of interest to anyone following the thread.

Aye

Tom McC

[marina]

Interesting stuff.

Thanks all.

[Tom A McCluskey]

Hi All,

As a running amendment to my comments above, the only book of collected poems that I have seen Joe Lee's work in, is this one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sword-Pen-Poems-Du...1751&sr=8-1

Which is an out of print Aberdeen University Press book covering poems from Dundee and Tayside in 1915. Also, please find attached the inlay of Work-a-day-Warriors. Joe Lee's first book, Ballads of Battle is dedicated: To My Comrades in Arms.

Aye

Tom McC

[marina]

Lee's poem, 'German Prisoners' is here:

http://www.absolutelypoetry.com/author/jos...-prisoners.html

and 'The Homecoming' here:

http://www.firstworldwar.com/poetsandprose..._homecoming.htm

Marina

[Ian Robertson]

Tom x 3

I'm no scholar of either poetry or WW1 but I do know a wee bit about my home town so I am ashamed to say that I had never heard of Lee before I saw his name at the foot of Tom McC's signature. I was going through the Overgate before new year when I saw this book in one a cut price book shops. I would be hard to read Bob Burrow's book and dislike Joe Lee. I loved the story of Joe, who left school at 14, going toe to toe with the poet laureate who was an Oxbridge man. The feelings that his comrades in the trenches had for him seemed to be echoed by his fellow POW's. After the armistice, but while still technically a prisoner of war, Joe and captian Tim Sugrue bunked off from the prison at Beeskow and visited the sights in Berlin; a pretty dangerous thing to do given the upheaval in the German capital at the time. They returned to the prison just in time to be officially released.

Marina

Thanks for posting the links. Joe Lees sketch which accompanied the poem " German Prisoners" is below

regards

Ian

[Ian Robertson]

Black Jock,

With your forthcoming address to the national dish in mind, I thought you may like to see a poster drawn by Joe Lee for a Black Watch dinner in Belguim in 1917. The poster was signed by 17 of his comrades. I think the menu may have been wishfull thinking!

regards Ian

Edited 9 January , 2008 by Ian Robertson

[marina]

These are terrifc drawings!

Marina

[Black Jock]

Ian,

Thanks for the menu, I notice some of the names look Belgian/French, I think the fare may be genuine, the 4/5 had been in the line over the New Year and had thwarted an enemy raid on New Year Day night. My copy of the diary for that period is unreadable, I imagine all the goodies sent from home would be waiting for them coming out of the trenches to augment the issue rations. Now to find out the fate of the men on the menu. Linton Andrews is one of the signatures, I wonder if there is mention in "The Haunting Years"

Tom

[Black Jock]

Ian,

This is the newspaper photo, it is not very good, but is a nice group photo.

[Ian Robertson]

Black Jock,

Thanks for posting the picture of Joe Lee and your comments regarding the menu. One of the names that has signed in is Pipe Major Dan McCleod.

Marina

See below a picture of the courtyard at Beeskow which was Joe's second POW camp. I am stuck by, what seems to me, the different syles he was able to sketch in.

Regards

Ian

[marina]

I see what you mean. Both very fine.

Marina

[Black Jock]

Black Jock,

Thanks for posting the picture of Joe Lee and your comments regarding the menu. One of the names that has signed in is Pipe Major Dan McCleod.

Ian,

I wonder if Mrs M--- is Pipey McLeods wife? I may have a photo of him. I have a Pipey Angus McLeod. The menu is signed Dan A: I wonder if Angus was his Sunday name?

Tom

[Tom A McCluskey]

Hi All,

On this thread are the awards from the Battle of Loos as you can see they are quite a while in coming through the pipeline - possibly due to a lot of the officers being casualties. I believe Dan McLeod MM & Bar carried Lt Col Harry Walker in and Sgt Petrie MM carried Maj Elmslie Tosh in:

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...showtopic=89662

Pte D Smart was sat in a hospital in Brechin recovering from subsequent wounds when his medal was authorised.

Sgt Gammie was also recommended for the DCM at Aubers Ridge

Also Sgt George Brown Cruickshank MM & Bar (one of the names on the menu) was subsequently killed in The Salient on the 2nd of November 1917, during an extremely depressing time for the 4/5th Black Watch. Many battalion characters lost their lives, such as Lieut Isla Scott Patterson MC, and shortly after that Capt Talbert Stevenson MC & Bar.

Hope this is of use

Aye

Tom McC

[Ian Robertson]

Tom,

Once again your post and the thread that you linked make very interesting reading.

I read in "Fighter Writer" that when Joe departed from the battalion for officer training on the 26th feb 1917, he left Linton Andrews as the sole remaining member of the original 4th that had left Tay Bridge station on the 23rd Feb 1915. Can this be correct?

regards

Ian

[truthergw]

I can't resist bragging. A couple of days ago, a late ' Christmas present ' fell through my letter box. It was a copy of " Ballads of Battle" from a very generous friend. It even has a couple of clippings from The Dundee Advertiser . I'm only reading a couple of poems at a time, to make it last longer.

[Tom A McCluskey]

Tom,

You have every right to be self-satisfied, you're a lucky man, enjoy it as it is a rare treat.

Aye

Tom McC

P.S. Tom, there seems to be a trend of press cuttings in Joe Lee's books. I have another that I will post later.

[Tom A McCluskey]

Ian,

I believe William Linton Andrews (WLA) was the last to depart the battalion, all of the rest taking commisions (J B Nicholson excepted). I think WLA and Dan McBride both went on the commissioning course together WLA's commision being in the 4th Black Watch. I will not say too much more as I reckon that Haunting Years by William Linton Andrews is a book that you are not too far off reading, and will enjoy immensely.

Aye

Tom McC

[David_Bluestein]

Happened upon this interesting thread - I have a couple questions please:

Was William Linton Andres with the 1/4th Black Watch or 4/5 Black Watch?

Secondly - when we reffer to the '4th' Bn. of the Black Watch are we talking about the 1/4th or 4/5th?

Sorry if these seem like silly questions.

Many thanks,

David

[dundeesown]

Hi David

William.L.Andrews was in the 1/4th Black Watch ( Dundees Own ),and the 4/5th came about with the amalgamation of the 4th Battalion and the 5th Battalion Black Watch in March 1916.

Gary.

[David_Bluestein]

Okay that makes sense, thank you - so Andrews would have become part of the newly formed 4/5th in March 1916.

I'm researching an Officer of the 4/5th and was considering finding the book he wrote with the hope it would assist in my work.

Kind regards,

David

[Ian Robertson]

David,

Just to add to Gary's prompt response the 1/4th and 1/5th were the same as the 4th and 5th Bat and yes he did become part of the 4/5th which was formed on the 15th march 1916.

regards

Ian

[aboode]

I like the menu; it was signed by P/M Dan A. McLeod - was he in early 1917 Pipe Major of the 4th or the 4th/5th Bn Black Watch, or has he been P/M of both battalions, but when exactly.

Aad