Lee, John Robert
Personal Information
Rank | P/O |
Forename(s) | John Robert |
Surname | Lee |
Gender | M |
Age | 22 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 06-12-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of John Thomas Lee and Mary Lee (née McBlain), of Caledonia, Ontario, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax III |
Serial Number | NP945 |
Markings | QB-D |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Reichswald Forest War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Coll. grave 16. F. 5-6. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 198 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/95372 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 424 (Tiger) |
Trade | Air Gunner |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Village Green, Skipton on Swale, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone, inscribed Metal Plaque & Maple Tree |
Memorial Text | A memorial to the Canadian personnel who served at RAF Skipton on Swale during WW2, including 424 Sqn RCAF |
Miscellaneous Information
This crew was on its fifth sortie |
John was born at Caledonia, Ontario on 29 October 1922. Both parents were born in Ontario, his father, a farmer in Caledonia and his mother in Brussels. He had four siblings, brothers, Harry and George as well as two sisters Clara and Gladys. The schools he attended were S.S.#1 Seneca, 0ntario. 1929-1936 (general) and then Caledonia High, 1936-1939. He enjoyed baseball, hockey, swimming and hiking. Between 1939-1940 John worked in farming for Fred L. Atkinson at Woodstock, Ontario before being called home where he then worked on his father’s farm between 1940-1942. On 14 August 1942 John then enlisted. |
After training he embarked from Canada for the U.K. and arrived at 3 PRC on 2 September 1943. He went on to 11 OTU 21 September 1943, 31 Base 14 January 1944, 1653 CU. 11 February 1944, 149 Sqn 15 April 1944, 61 Base 28 August and 424 Squadron 23 October 1944. Sadly John was to lose his life a few weeks later on 6 December 1944. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1835/22 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1835/21 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 06-12-1944 |
End Date | 07-12-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Skipton on Swale |
Day/Night Raid | Night (56% moon) |
Operation | Osnabrück. 453 aircraft, 8 losses. The first major raid on this target in more than two years. The railway yards were only partly damaged but the Teuto-Metallwerke munitions factory was hit. 39 people were killed |
Reason for Loss |