Thomas Edwin Lee was born on September 18, 1922, the son of Edwin Lee and Irene (nee Miller) Lee, of 244 North Christina Street, Sarnia. Thomas’ siblings included brothers Joseph (who would also serve in the war), and Patrick; sister Mary Jane and another sister. Thomas had been a pupil at Sarnia Collegiate before enlisting. Fifteen year-old Thomas would lose his father, Edwin Lee, who died at the age of 39 on August 15, 1937. Single at the time, Thomas enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and received his wings at Crumlin in December 1942. Thomas went overseas the following month. In November of 1943, parents Edwin and Irene Lee in Sarnia would learn that their son Thomas had been recently promoted from sergeant air gunner to flight sergeant while on active service. He would become a member of RCAF #425 Alouette Squadron “Je Te Plumerai” (I shall pluck you), attaining the rank of Pilot Officer-Bomb Aimer. Also in November of 1943, brother Joseph Lee would report for duty with the Royal Canadian Navy at Windsor. Joseph’s wife would also reside at 244 north Christina Street, Sarnia.
In late January of 1944, Thomas Lee and his crew were part of a powerful R.A.F.-R.C.A.F. night raid over Berlin, Germany. The Canadian bomber group included a large force of Lancasters and Halifaxes in what they described as a “perfect” attack. One flying officer said he saw the streets of Berlin distinctly; another said fires were visible all the way through Denmark. Pilot Officer Jack Snelgrove of Regina said, “It looked like Sarnia, Ontario would if the entire Imperial Oil plant suddenly went up in flames.”
On August 5, 1944, Thomas Lee and his crew were on air raid operations over enemy territory. On that day, their Halifax aircraft LL594 was shot down and crashed in the forest at Compiegne, France during a daylight trip to St. Leu D’Esserent, France, during the Battle of Normandy. This was Pilot Officer Bomb Aimer Lee’s 26th operation. In mid-August of 1944, mother Irene Lee in Sarnia would receive a telegram from R.C.A.F. headquarters at Ottawa informing her that her son, Warrant Officer Thomas Lee, has been reported missing after air operations over enemy territory on August 5.
In mid-December of 1944, Irene Lee in Sarnia would receive a telegram from the R.C.A.F. casualty officer at Ottawa informing her that, Information from International Red Cross states your son, Pilot Officer Thomas Edwin Lee, lost his life. Pending further information your son is to be considered missing, believed killed.
Thomas Lee would later be officially listed as, Previously reported missing after air operations, now for official purposes, presumed dead. Perishing with Pilot Officer-Bomb Aimer Thomas Lee were Pilot Officer R.A. Reed; FS. W.B. Gracie; and F/O.s G. Beresford (RAF), L.G. Stamp (RAF), and WO. B. Clark (RAF). One Canadian, S/L. Philbin, was an Evader and Sgt. G.L. Milliard was taken Prisoner Of War.
The story of how her son was buried in France after being shot down on an air raid was told to Thomas Edwin Lee’s mother, Irene, in a letter received, from an American woman who had just returned from France where she had witnessed the funeral. The letter telling of his burial was written by an Ohio woman, Mrs. T.J. Kirby, of Toledo, who stated that before leaving France, recently, she was entrusted with a little crucifix which had been placed on the body of Pilot Officer Lee after he met a glorious death at St. Maximin, Oise, France. The crucifix was placed there by the sisters of the Conde hospital at Chantilly, where the funeral took place. Here is the letter that Mrs. Irene Lee received verbatim:
Well do I realize how you must have been felling when after all those many months of silence you received that holy relic of your beloved son. It is true that the only wound that never heals is that in a mother’s heart.
We had some terrible bombing in July and August 1944 because that little French village of Saint Maximin was built right in the middle of large and deep stone quarries. Unfortunately for us, the Germans driven back by the speedy advance of the Allies during the battle of France, has started to stock large quantities of thoseV-1 bombs in the quarries and prepared launching platforms nearby to send their ghastly rockets against the approaching armies.
Thus, it became vital for the American and British airforces to destroy the quarries before the Germans
could make use of the new weapon. Hundreds of planes came by night and day dropping powerful explosives until, at the end, not one house was left standing (the people had all been evacuated to nearby Chantilly) but the goal was attained as not one robot bomb ever got out of those quarries.
How the Germans reacted was awful and showed the importance they attached to the depot. To our horror we saw many planes brought down by their fire during those terrible days. Forgive me for recalling such things.
Your son was the only one among all those martyrs to have a special funeral. There must have been something about him to cause that exception. The Germans said they would permit the funeral to be held, according to the Catholic rites, under condition that nobody was to go to the cemetery.
But the sisters in charge of the hospital spread the word that at two o’clock in the afternoon there would be
prayers and a service for a young Canadian aviator and just that verbal announcement was enough to bring practically all the people of Chantilly to the hospital.
The chapel was far too small and people had to stand on the surrounding grounds. Even the mayor of Chantilly was present.
I shall never forget the impression I received when entering the chapel to behold the casket draped in the folds of the French flag and surrounded by a bank of white flowers of all kinds. Everybody who could was bringing flowers and the good sisters did their best to make the decoration of the chapel beautiful and to do their most beautiful singing. What was most stirring was to see the emotion and profound respect of the people. There was not a mother there who was not thinking of that boy’s mother and weeping with her.
At the end of the service, our venerable chaplain tried to say a few words, but his emotion was too great and his voice trailed away. He was only able to bless once more the body of your son. And then started the defile which lasted for two hours because so many persons took the time to go on foot or by bicycle to the cemetery in spite of the Germans.
The new cemetery of Chantilly is but a short walking distance from the town at the edge of a beautiful forest. Many people visit it on Sundays and the grave of your son is well taken care of. There is a cross and it was always decorated with flowers.
At the chapel of the Conde hospital, masses are frequently sung for the soul of Thomas Lee.
I hesitate to send this letter to you but yet I know there will be some sweetness and consolation for you to know what a splendid funeral your son had and how it came to be that a whole town, without knowing him, came to mourn for him.
Thomas Lee was killed on August 5, 1944, and his widow mother Irene Lee received the above letter just before Christmas of 1945. Twenty-one year old Thomas Lee is buried in Chantilly (St.Pierre) Communal Cemetery, Oise, France, Row 3, Grave 372.
SOURCES: A, B, C, D, F, G, J, L, M, N, 2C, 2D