All three Graham brothers would serve and fight in the war. The boys’ parents were Arthur Graham and Florence (nee Burfield) Graham, who resided at 114 North Vidal Street during the Second World War. Lloyd Thomas Graham, the youngest of the three brothers was in the Air Force, a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force, the 419 Moose squadron “Moosa Aswayita”. Jack H. Graham, the middle brother, joined the army in 1939 in Windsor, with the Essex Scottish Regiment. After training at Camp Borden, he was sent to England for extensive commando training on the Isle of Wight. William Richard Graham, the oldest of the three brothers, also enlisted in the army in Windsor, with the Essex Scottish Regiment.
Lloyd Thomas Graham was born on March 1, 1923. Older brothers Jack and William had enlisted in the army and were serving with the Essex Scottish Regiment prior to Lloyd enlisting. In August 1942, only days after the Dieppe Raid, parents Arthur and Florence in Sarnia received word that middle son Jack was listed as missing in the raid, and no word had been received regarding oldest son William’s fate in the raid. In that same week, single at the time and determined to get into the thick of things, nineteen year-old Lloyd Graham enlisted. Just days before enlisting, Lloyd said, “I applied for the R.C.A.F. two weeks ago. I want to be an air gunner, but mother would prefer to see me in the navy. I’ll make up my mind in a day or so.”
Lloyd Graham would enlist in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Lloyd would graduate from Fingal Bombing and Gunnery School, in September 1943. His parents Arthur and Florence were there at the graduation to witness Lloyd receive his newly won wings. Lloyd then went on to complete another course at Crumlin. He went overseas in March of 1944, becoming a member of RCAF #419 Moose Squadron “Moosa aswayita” (Beware the moose).
On December 7, 1944, Lloyd Graham was aboard Lancaster aircraft KB779 that had left England when it went missing after it encountered severe icing conditions during a night attack against Osnabruk, Germany. The aircraft was listed as being shot down on December 7, 1944. In mid-December 1944, Arthur and Florence would receive a telegram informing them that their son, Flight Sergt. Lloyd Thomas Graham, R.C.A.F., is missing overseas after an operational flight from England. They received the telegram almost simultaneously with a letter from their son Corporal Jack Graham, a veteran of Dieppe, who was then a prisoner of war in Germany. Though Lloyd Graham had been reported missing in early December 1944, it was not until October of 1945, two months after the war had ended, that Arthur and Florence Graham were not notified that their son, Pilot Officer Lloyd T. Graham, was officially listed as, Previously reported missing after air operations, now for official purposes, presumed dead, overseas (Germany). Perishing with Pilot Officer-Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Lloyd Graham were F/O.s B.D. Hyndman, and G.R. Cheesman; P/O.s G.E. Smith, E.M. Hansen, and D.L. Marcellus; and one RAF member of the crew. Twenty-one year old Lloyd Graham has no known grave. He is memorialized at Runnymede Memorial in Surrey, United Kingdom, Panel 250.
Jack H. Graham, was born in June of 1920, the middle son of Arthur and Florence Graham. Jack enlisted in September 1939 in the Canadian Army, becoming a member of the Essex Scottish Regiment, R.C.I.C. In June 1942, he would celebrate his 22nd birthday “somewhere in England” with a Western Ontario unit. Two months later, on August 19, 1942, Jack Graham, along with his brother William, would take part in the raid on Dieppe. On that day, 4,963 Canadian soldiers landed on the beaches of Dieppe, a small town on the coast of France. Called Operation Jubilee, the goals were to destroy radar and other military installations, seize a neighbouring airfield, and capture a German divisional headquarters. It was also to serve as a test run for the future invasion of Europe, and to take some pressure off the Eastern Front. The raiding soldiers were intended to arrive early in the morning under the cover of darkness, but they were delayed, and there was inadequate supporting fire. They had to approach the cliffs of Dieppe fully visible to the German troops waiting for them atop the 75 foot-high cliffs. The Operation was a disaster, and of the 4,963 Canadians that landed, 907 were killed, 2,460 were wounded and 1,946 were captured.
One of those captured at Dieppe, by the middle of the day on August 19, 1942, was Corporal Jack Graham. Days after the Dieppe raid, Arthur and Florence Graham in Sarnia would receive the news that their son Jack was reported as missing in the raid, and no word on the fate of their other son William was received. Two days after learning that their son Jack was missing following the raid, Arthur and Florence would receive a letter from Jack that had been mailed in the weeks prior to the raid. In the letter, Jack told of the strenuous training that the chosen Canadian troops had undergone over a protracted period in preparation for a “big scale raid on the French coast.” He also mentioned that there was a certain somebody in England whom he liked very much, but he had not got around to the point of asking about their future plans because of the uncertainties of the future. Jack also gave details of the nature of the Commando course, and of how the troops had worked in close cooperation with the air force and the navy while making practice landings. He wrote, The first month was the hardest, we worked in mud up to our necks. We were so tired during this time we seldom left the camp figuring sleep was more important. The men were up every day at 5 o’clock and lights were out at 9:30 o’clock.
The days and weeks following the Dieppe raid was a very anxious time for the Graham family and thousands of others, as news of the fateful outcome and the mounting casuaties continued to be reported back in Canada. It was not until Thanksgiving of October 1942 that Jack’s parents would receive the “happy” news that their son Jack, previously reported missing at Dieppe, was a prisoner of the Nazi’s, confined at Camp Stalag 8B, Germany. Two other local families would receive the same news about their sons on this Thanksgiving Day. John Brown, of 281 Wellington Street would learn that his son, Sapper Albert William Thomas Brown, who was with the 11th Field Company was in the same Camp Stalag, and Mr. and Mrs. Dunn of 405 Michigan Avenue, Point Edward would learn that their son, Sapper Douglas Albert Dunn, also of the 11th Field Company was in the hands of the Germans.
In February 1943, Arthur and Florence Graham would receive a letter from their son Jack, dated December 6, 1942. In the letter, he wrote that he was well, but still looking for letters from his home in Canada, although he had received four letters from England. He also mentioned that he had met a boy from Sarnia in the camp, named Demeray (it was Norris Demeray, also captured at Dieppe). Jack said that he would like his parents to send him a pair of shoes and a pack of cards. On a postcard dated November 29, 1942, he wrote that he had made himself a pair of warm mitts from the sleeve of a tunic. In April of 1943, Florence Graham would receive another letter from her son Jack in the German prison camp. In that letter, he acknowledged the receipt of a parcel of dainties sent to him along with the cigarettes from the Sarnia branch of the Red Cross. He was also particularly pleased with a number of family snapshots that were included, stating that he enjoyed them more than “a whole parcel of chocolate.” In mid-December 1944, Arthur and Florence would receive another letter from Jack, which arrived almost simultaneously as a telegram that they received informing them that their son Flight Sergeant Lloyd Thomas Graham was missing overseas. In Jack’s letter, he referred to others from the Sarnia district whom he had met in captivity, including Cecil Fowler, Don (Bunt) Murray, Joe Barr of Point Edward and another Essex Scottish man named Zink.
Jack Graham would spend the remainder of the war as a prisoner of war. Approximately three years after the Dieppe Raid, Jack and his fellow prisoners were liberated by the British ‘Desert Rats’ in 1945, just prior to the end of the war. In late April 1945, Arthur and Florence Graham would receive a cable from their son Jack, stating that he had been liberated from German prison camp, Stalag 357 by the advancing troops of the United Nations. Jack was able to return home to Sarnia. His wife, Mrs. Doris Graham, was a “war bride” who came to Canada on the troopship Mauretania, arriving in Halifax on January 21, 1946. Jack and Doris would have three children together. Jack would work for, and eventually retire from Dow Chemical Limited in Sarnia.
Jack Graham’s memory of that fateful Dieppe Raid morning, We had plenty of training under our belt and that training took over. We had practiced landing; however, the ramp went down and I found myself crawling over bodies, no training could prepare us for what lay ahead. I can clearly remember Pappy Beck shouting, ‘Keep your head down!’ I was carrying an E.Y. Rifle with a grenade on the end of the barrel. It was new to me and a bit top heavy. I recall getting it stuck in the stones once I reached the beach. Carnage was everywhere. It was a massacre.”
Jack Graham was to be held as a Prisoner of War in Germany for 34 months. His memory of the war camp, “If you behaved yourself, you would survive. I was scared and I followed the rules. There was an occasion when I cleared my throat and spat. Unfortunately, two German officers thought I was being disrespectful to them. I spent seven days in the ‘cooler’ for my actions. As the war progressed, we were aware of the Allied Forces’ successes. Crystal radio receivers kept us posted and after 34 months I heard the bombs in the distance. That morning we climbed to the roof tops and could see the British 8th Army coming. The dogs and guards were gone and for the first time in nearly three years, we were free!
William Richard Graham was born on July 26, 1918, the eldest son of Arthur and Florence Graham of Sarnia. He would marry Dorothy (nee Davies), the daughter of Capt. And Mrs. A. Davies of Toronto. William would nickname his new bride “Dodie” and the couple would reside at 438 Aylmer Avenue, Windsor. At his enlistment, he recorded his occupation as a truck driver. William enlisted in the Canadian Army, and like his brother Jack, became a member of the Essex Scottish Regiment, R.C.I.C. William would become a Commando instructor prior to the Dieppe Raid. William Graham took part in the Dieppe raid, as a Sergeant-Major, along with his brother Jack on August 19, 1942. Only days after the raid, parents Arthur and Florence would receive the news that son Jack was reported as missing, and no word on the fate of their other son William was received. Jack would spend three years as a prisoner of war. William would survive Dieppe to fight another day.
In February 1943, Arthur and Florence would receive a letter from their oldest son William, dated January 1943. In the letter, he informed his parents that he had been in the Dieppe Raid and that he had returned to England unwounded. He also stated that he had been recommended for a commission. He also enclosed a souvenir memorial card that had been produced in England, to the memory of those who did not come back from Dieppe. He wrote that he had a hard time trying to erase Dieppe from his memory and that he has lived it over again repeatedly in his dreams.
In the early part of 1943, William was one of a large party of Canadian soldiers who returned to Canada from England. In mid-May of 1943, William made his way to Windsor to report to Essex Scottish headquarters. His mother Florence drove from Sarnia to Windsor to meet him. In mid-September of 1943, while on the officers’ training school staff at Brockville, William and his wife Dodie would return to Sarnia for a weekend to visit his parents. One year later, in September of 1944, William and Dodie would give birth to their baby girl, Susan.
Included at the back of this project are two photographs pertaining to William Graham. One is of William, and his beautiful wife Dorothy (Davies) whom he nicknamed “Dodie”. The other photograph shows William holding their one-month old baby daughter Susan, dated October 15, 1944. After obtaining his commission as Lieutenant, William was recalled overseas and returned to his unit, arriving in England in December of 1944. In early January of 1945, William would send the following telegram to his wife Dorothy who was residing in Newmarket, Ontario at the time:
Darling arrived safe address later love Bill Graham.
Not long after arriving overseas, William mailed home two hand-written letters. The following are those two letters,
the first letter, posted February 6, 1945 from Abergavenny, addressed to his baby daughter:
My dearest little Susan,
I wonder is this the first letter you receive. Anyway I hope I shall be able to write you when you are older. Your father is very proud of you. He and your grandfather were fortunate enough to have a few days together here. Your uncle Jackie was here at the same time. I must thank you very much for the beautifully looking package we have just received from you sent by your grandpa. Your little ladyship showed wonderful discrimination in the choice of your gift to your aged ancestor. In photographs we have received of your bonny self quite justify your fathers pride in you. Your g g ma will probably write you herself. She is laid up today with a severe headache. Your uncle Jackie surprised us yesterday evening by paying us another visit on short leave before arriving from Greenwich to Cumberland. Give your love to your mother Mrs. Graham & your aunt Marie & of course to your grandma and love to Susan. Your affectionately, G.G.Pa
The second letter, mailed February 28, 1945 location unknown, is addressed to his wife Dorothy
(Note: William’s “pet” name for his wife Dorothy was Dodie, and their daughter Susan was now 6 months old):
My Darling:
I am afraid my letters are going to be few and far between dearest. I am kept pretty busy. But you can bet I’ll do my best. I love you Dodie. And my letters will of necessity, be short. I can’t tell you anything about what is going on. Besides you know more about the war than I do. We look for newspapers to tell us about it, and they are a day or so late. If this is hard to read darling, please excuse it. It is a little on the difficult side to write here. We are in a ruined house and the writing facilities have disappeared. I’m struggling along on a rickety table, by candle light and sitting on a box. But I have to tell you I love you my dearest. So you must put up with this. How is our Susan? She is quite a young lady now, I’ll bet. Sitting in her high chair and eating grown up food. I’d sure like to see her. Does she miss her Daddy? The little devil probably gurgles and chuckles away to herself and is completely ignorant of my existence. But I love her just the same. I certainly miss her too, darling. Have I told you that I love you yet my own Dodie? Well I do darling. More than you’ll ever know. I’ll certainly be glad when this is over. And I say that with more fervour that I ever thought possible. It will be so nice to settle down and live peaceful, normal lives again. I adore you my own dear wife. So long for now sweetheart. Take care of yourself and Susan. We’ll all be together soon. Kiss Susan for me darling. Give love to mom and the Burg’s. I love you my Dodie. Forever & ever.
You’re my own adoring
Bill XXXX
P.S. This last is German ink, if your interested. I love you. Bill
*(Note: from the word Burg’s on, the letter is clearly written with a different kind of ink)
Two days after the above letter was mailed, on March 2, 1945, William Graham would lose his life in a mortar bomb attack in Hochwald Forest, Germany, during the Battle of the Rhineland. In mid-March 1945, Williams wife Dorothy, who was residing in Newmarket, along with his parents Arthur and Florence in Sarnia, would receive word that Lieutenant William Graham had been killed in action, presumably on the Western Front. Arthur and Florence Graham had received a letter from William only two weeks prior to his death, and were unaware that he was in Europe. Approximately two months after William Graham’s death, the war in Europe would end. William Graham would later be offically listed as, Killed in action, in the field (Germany). William Graham would leave behind his parents, his wife Dorothy and their six-month old baby daughter Susan. Twenty-six year old William Graham is buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, Netherlands, Grave XXI.E.4.
SOURCES: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, J, L, M, N, 2C, 2D, d