Private 3774896 Francis Lee

Census details:
1939 Register. Unfortunately Francis and one other member of the household are redacted. Father James Lee born 13/05/1884 a Corporation Highway (Heavy Worker), mother Ann Lee born 09/03/1880 an Unpaid Domestic sisters Alice Scott (Lee) born 23/08/1912 a Domestic Servant, Hannah Walsh (Lee) born 10/07/1914 a Domestic Servant and brother William Lee born 14/12/1916 an Unemployed Property Repairer are living at 61 Langtree Street, St Helens

Notes:
Age taken from Death Record Transcripts

Frank Lee enlisted in the 5th Battalion, King's Regiment, on 15 January 1940. He spent the next 4.5 years in service in the UK. He went ashore on Sword Beach with his unit on D-Day, 6 JUNE 1944. His Battalion had been specially trained as Beach Protection Parties charged with providing beach defence against any potential German counter-attacks. On 5 July 1944 he was promoted to Local Lance Corporal then to Acting Corporal (Unpaid) on 31 July. Once the threat of German counter-attack had disappeared, Frank's unit was progressively dispersed. On 28 August 1944, Frank was posted to No. 32 Reinforcement Holding Unit which provided casualty replacements to front-line units. At this time, he also relinquished his Acting rank and reverted back to Private. On 15 September 1944 he was posted to 1/5th Battalion, the Welsh Regiment as they moved through Europe. During the fighting for s'Hertogenbosh, Holland, Frank was captured on 24 October 1944. He was identified as a prisoner of war on 1 November 1944 but his family received no further news of his incarceration and his Army records provide no indication in which POW camp(s) he was imprisoned. An index card created by the German military does survive showing that Frank first was imprisoned at [popup=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalag_IX-B]Stalag IX-B[/popup], Fallingbostel, Germany. On 25 November 2944 he was moved to [popup=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalag_VIII-C]Stalag VIII-C[/popup] at Sagan in modern-day Poland. This camp was just across the street from the famed Stalag Luft III, scene of the Great Escape. We have no further details of Frank's time as a POW but Stalag VIII-C was evacuated on 8 February 1945, the soldiers marching over 600km to at Bad Orb, east of Frankfurt, Germany. The march took place under harsh winter weather conditions and an unknown number of POWs failed to survive the journey. According to other contemporaneous POW marches, temperatures were as low as 17 degrees below freezing. If they were lucky the soldiers got to spend the night in barns or other structures but often they were simply left out in the open, congregated on football pitches. Rations were extremely scarce - one other participant kept a daily log of what he ate which often was scarcely enough for a single meal, let alone 3 meals while conducting pretty taxing physical activity. The march ended between 10-16 March 1945, the POWs having spent over a month on the road. One inmate remarked on 19 March "I am feeling very, VERY weak! I am v. thin!" Stalag IX-B was liberated by the US Army on 2 April 1945, Easter Monday. Given Frank's condition and the timing of his repatriation on 11 April 1945, it is assumed that he participated in the march from Sagan to Bad Orb where he was liberated.Frank's family received a telegram on 11 April 1945 that he had been repatriated and was alive. A few hours later they received a second telegram notifying them of his death. Frank had been flown back from Europe to Oxfordshire and had been admitted to an American Army Hospital near Swindon where he died of malnutrition. He was 25 years old. [right](By Mark Haselden)[/right] [b]St Helens Reporter Friday 20th April 1945[/b] [b]DIED AFTER LIBERATION[/b] Last Friday we told the sad story of Cpl Francis Lee aged 25, 61 Langtree Street who liberated by the swiftly advancing American army arrived in this country last Wednesday, but died later the same day in the Station Hospital, Chisledon near Swindon, Wilts. Cpl Lee was serving with the Welsh Regt when taken prisoner last October in Holland. [b]THE FUNERAL[/b] [b]T[/b]he military funeral took place on Tuesday at the Borough Cemetery proceeded by a service in Holy Trinity Church the Rev rf R Campbell officiated. The hymns "Fight the Good Fight" and "Now the Labourers Task is O'er" were sung. The coffin was borne by 6 local ex-prisoners of war who had arrived back in England in the same convoy as the deceased. They were : L Cpl Ridings (K.O.R.R) Gdsm McGough (Scots Guard) Pte Ashcroft (R.A.M.C) Gnr Tatlock (R.A) Pte Edwards (K.O.R.R) and W.O Canning (R.A.F). The mourners were : Mr & Mrs James Lee (parents) Messrs John, James, Wm and Samuel (brothers) Mrs Scott and Miss H Lee (sisters) Miss Renee Walsh; Mrs Ruth Lee; Mrs May Lee; Mr Bert Scott; Mrs Veronica Lee; Mr John Lee jun; Mr& Mrs Mercer; Mr & Mrs Holding; Miss Joan Holding; Mrs Haselden; Mr Harold Haselden; Mr Wm Lee; Mr & Mrs Hughes; Mrs Evans; Mr Wm Gamble; Mr James Gerrard; Mr & Mrs Unsworth; Miss Unsworth; Miss Evelyn Bradbury (representing the Red Cross and St Johns War Organisation) Messrs Bert Bowes; Jack Potter; Tommy Crehan and Joe Platt; Mr & Mrs Anslow; Mr F Worthington (representing St Helens Corporation Building Dept) Representing Holy Trinity Mens Bible Class were : Messrs J Webb; W Pickering; J Bickering; C Bridge; J Talbot; W Millington; R Fairclough and R Logan. Holy Trinity Day School Teachers were represented by : Mr Frank Houghton (headmaster) and Mr Fred Bather.Wreaths were received from : Mother & Father; John, Ruth & Children; Jim, Mary & Children; Alice & Bert; Bill, Veronica & baby; Sam & Sister Hannah; Renee; Uncle Bill & all at Warrington; Aunt Lizzie & Uncle Jack; Aunt Maggie & Uncle Bill & Joan; Uncle Jack & Auntie Alice; Aunt Polly & Uncle Harry & Family; Elsie & Bert; Emily & Family; All at 59 South John Street; Mr & Mrs Unsworth; Dorothy & Francis; Friends at Knaresboro?; Joe; Mrs Scott; Bill & Matt; Mrs Pennington; Friends & Neighbours; M Shop; Friends at Mercers & Sons; Parr Street; Prisoners of War Relatives Association; Royal Arms Hotel; Customers Top Vaults.Undertaker P Orrell [right]Originally posted by WRB on [url=http://www.sthelens-connect.net/forums/topic/41376-various-st-helens-obits/?p=455922]St Helens Connect Forums.[/url][/right] [pic]imgs/S1PWHYAOTV/LeeF.jpg[/pic] [caption]The headstone of Private Francis Lee at St Helens Cemetery (Photo courtesy of Jeff Keenan)[/caption]