Charles Lee: a driver and his bus go to war
Introduction
London bus driver Charles Lee was one of the first drivers to serve in the First World War along with his bus, with London buses among the first motor vehicles to be requisitioned for wartime use overseas.
Here we explore Charles’s story through a number of his personal items on display in the London’s Transport at War Gallery.
This photograph shows Charles in his London General Omnibus Company uniform in 1910. Charles left his garage in Putney in September 1914 and joined the crews of 70 D type buses sent to Dunkirk, on the French coast. He and his bus were attached to the Royal Naval Division, transporting troops to and from the besieged Belgian city of Antwerp.
Like all troops serving in the British armed forces in 1914, Charles was given a Princess Mary giftbox for the first Christmas of the war. Inside the embossed brass box were tobacco, cigarettes, a pipe, lighter, Christmas card and photographs of the Royal family. Non-smokers were given writing materials as an alternative. The giftboxes were paid for by a public fund started by Princess Mary, daughter of King George V and Queen Mary.
Charles was awarded this Auxiliary Omnibus Companies’ Association (AOCA) medallion after the war for his service in 1914. The AOCA was formed in 1919 by London bus drivers who had served with the Army Service Corps during the First World War. Charles was also awarded the 1914 Star, War Medal and Victory Medal for his service.
Between 1915 and 1917, Charles was an Army driving instructor at Osterley in west London. Charles is shown in this photograph during this period, standing second from the left, among trainee Army Service Corps drivers.
After the war, Charles returned to civilian bus driving. By the time of the Second World War, he was still driving. In this photo from 1943, he is standing first on the right in front of a TF type bus.
See a number of Charles’s personal items on display in the London’s transport at war gallery.
