Arthur Edward Reid Flying Officer J/22367 Royal Canadian Air Force 138 RAF Squadron July 17, 1921 Debert, Colchester Co., Nova Scotia August 30, 1941 Halifax, NS Roseland, Ontario 20 5 feet, 6 inches Fair Blonde Brown Single Grocery Store Clerk Baptist Robert Edward Reid (Father) Roseland, Ontario February 8, 1944 22 Autrans Communal Cemetery, Isere, France Grave 2 Commemorated on Page 425 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on September 9 Arthur Edward Reid was the son of Robert Edward Reid and Mary Melinda (Teed) Reid. He was the brother of Robert Edward Reid who served with the Canadian Army overseas during WWII, James Gordon Reid, Kenneth John Reid, William Henry Reid, Glen Campbell Reid, Douglas Keith Reid, Gladys Marie Reid, Phyllis June Reid, and Jean Elizabeth Reid. The family lived in Debert, Nova Scotia until July of 1925. In 1944 the family lived in Windsor, Ontario. In Roseland, Ontario, Arthur began his education in 1927 and in 1937 completed two years of high school. He then completed a commercial course in 1938 at the Windsor-Walkerville Technical School. He was then employed as a clerk in grocery and hardware stores until he enlisted in 1941. Arthur’s sports interest included baseball and track (running and broad jump) while a student. His hobbies included playing guitar and reading. Prior to his enlistment with the RCAF, Arthur served as a Private Trainee with the Essex Tank Regiment in Windsor, Ontario. His training in Canada with the RCAF began on August 30, 1941, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He obtained his Air Observers Badge on December 30, 1942. On February 2, 1943, Arthur departed Canada for overseas. In February 1944 Arthur was serving with 138 RAF Squadron at RAF Tempsford in Bedfordshire. On February 7, 1944, Arthur was navigator on Halifax LL114, one of seven Halifax bombers to air drop supplies for the French resistance, part of a Special Operations Executive (SOE) Operation. Halifax LL 114 (coded NF-P) was tasked with dropping supplies at a Drop Zone (DZ) codenamed "JOHN 35". The aircraft failed to return to RAF Tempsford. While attempting to locate the drop zone in thick fog and a snowstorm, the aircraft crashed into a cliff face 8 kilometres north of the village of Autrans in the Vercors region. The aircraft was discovered five days later by local Resistance members, though they had not been expecting the flight. All crew members on board were killed instantly upon impact. The crew was initially buried near the crash site and later re- interred in the cemetery at Autrans in August 1944. It was not until 1945 that details of the crash were learned, the result of a report from Lieutenant Joutek of the French Forces of the Interior, Isers, France. “The men of a nearby camp observed an aircraft in difficulties and shortly after a dull sound was heard. A few days later a patrol discovered the wreckage of a British aircraft on the side of a mountain. The body of the rear gunner was seen in the turret, but it was impossible to locate other bodies because of the deep snow. Additional information was received from a Lieutenant Ruettard who was later captured and put to death by the Germans. This report stated that Lieutenant Ruettard located the aircraft on March 26 and when the snow disappeared, he returned to the site of the crash and discovered seven bodies … Assisted by the men from his camp and accompanied by Claude Ferret of Autrans, the bodies were placed in coffins and taken to a neighbouring chalet. Me Henre Barnier, mayor of Autrans had them laid in state and they were buried in the Autrans cemetery.”

Name: Rank: Service No: Service: Date of Birth: Place of Birth: Date of Enlistment: Place of Enlistment: Address at Enlistment: Age at Enlistment: Height: Complexion: Hair Colour: Eye Colour: Marital Status: Trade: Religion: Next of Kin: Date of Death: Age at Death: Cemetery: Reference:

Service File: Arthur Edward Reid

.,

Arthur Edward Reid (front 2nd on left)