Quick Facts
Biography
Reginald Robinson Lee (19 May 1870 – 6 August 1913) was a lookout stationed in the crow's nest of the RMS Titanic when the ship collided with an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. on 14 April 1912.
Biography
Born in Benson, England, Lee served in the Royal Navy as Assistant-Paymaster until placed on the retired list in February 1900.
He joined the Titanic's crew on 6 April 1912, having been transferred from its sister ship, RMS Olympic. On 14 April, Lee joined lookout Frederick Fleet in the crow's nest beginning at 10 p.m. The binoculars the two men should have used were unavailable, as the keys to the case in which they were locked were not on board, forcing the lookouts to rely on their eyesight.
When the Titanic began to founder, Lee was ordered to man lifeboat No. 13, which was launched from the ship's starboard side at 1:30 a.m. As a result, Lee survived the sinking, as did Fleet.
Lee testified before the Board of Trade Inquiry into the disaster but died shortly thereafter from pneumonia-related complications in Kenilworth, on 6 August 1913.