Sapper Lewis Leslie Reid

Survivor of WW2

Date of Death:

Biography General Ranks Awards

Service Biography

Lewis Leslie Reid was born at Athelstan in Huntingdon County, Quebec, on September 17, 1912. He enlisted in the Canadian Active Service Force at Montreal on July 26, 1940, as Sapper D-17125 with the Royal Canadian Engineers. Reid went overseas in 1940 and served in the United Kingdom before moving to France in July 1944 with the 34th Field Company, R.C.E. He served through the Northwest Europe campaign in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. A serious training accident in November 1941 fractured a lumbar vertebra and kept him in hospital and convalescence until January 1942, after which he returned to duty. Reid qualified in pioneer and bricklaying trades and was employed as a bricklayer with the Engineers. He married Amelia Ricketts in England on August 9, 1945; she later came to Canada under the war-bride repatriation program. Reid returned to Canada in March 1946 and was honourably discharged at Montreal South on April 25, 1946. His awards included the 1939-45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp, and War Medal 1939-45. He later re-enrolled in the Canadian Army Reserve in 1955 and served with the 3rd Field Engineer Regiment until 1958.

General Information

Conflict:

WW2

Regimental No.:

D 17125

Cause of Death (in war):

Survived

Branch:

Army

Regiment:

Royal Canadian Engineers

Battalion:

3rd Battalion

Company:

Date of Birth :

Place of Birth:

Athelstan, Huntingdon County, Quebec, Canada

Date of Enlistment:

Age at Enlistment:

27 years 10 months

Date of Discharge:

Age at Discharge:

33 years 7 months

Date of Death:

Age at Death:

60 years 3 months

Country Born:

Trade or Calling:

Truck Driver / Carpenter; later Bricklayer

Next of Kin:

Mrs. Alice Reid (mother), Athelstan/Huntingdon County, Quebec, Canada

Address at Enlistment:

Athelstan, Huntingdon County, Quebec, Canada

Religion:

Aboriginal

Place of Enlistment:

Montreal, Quebec

Was a Prisoner of War:

Height:

Weight:

140 lbs / 64 kg

Chest:

Expansion:

Marital Status:

Single

Prior Military Experience:

Saw Service in:

Europe

Place of Discharge:

Montreal South, Quebec

Discharge Type:

Regular/End of Service

Discharge Notes:

Honourably discharged from the Canadian Army (Active) at Montreal South on 25 Apr 1946 under Routine Order 1029 para. 5, to return to civil life on demobilization. Final wartime rank Sapper. Address on discharge: Glenelm, Huntingdon, Quebec. War Service Gratuity records 2,099 qualifying days, including 2,025 qualifying overseas days.

Battle Died/Wounded:

Length of Service:

2099 days in service

Buried at:

Plot:

Ranks

Conflict	Rank	Regiment	Branch	Unit
WW2	Sapper	Royal Canadian Engineers	Army	3rd Battalion
Repatriation period; postings routed through CRU/repat units.
WW2	Sapper	Royal Canadian Engineers	Army	34th Field Company
Served in Normandy/Northwest Europe; Bricklayer B.
WW2	Sapper	Royal Canadian Engineers	Army	1st Battalion
Includes 1941 lumbar-fracture hospitalization.
WW2	Sapper	Royal Canadian Engineers	Army	2nd Canadian Pioneer Battalion
Initial wartime unit; overseas from Aug/Sep 1940.

Awards

Conflict	Award	Action	Date of Award	Date of Citation	Source
WW2	1939-45 Star
WW2	France and Germany Star
WW2	Defence Medal
WW2	Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp
WW2	War Medal 1939-45

Service Chronology

1912-09-17 — Born
1940-07-26 — Enlisted as Sapper D-17125 in Royal Canadian Engineers.
1940-08-23 / 1940-09-01 — Began overseas service; arrived United Kingdom.
1940-12-07 to 1940-12-10 — Hospitalized with influenza; returned to unit.
1941-11-07 — Fell from a roof; fractured left transverse process of first lumbar vertebra.
1941-11-08 to 1942-01-06 — Hospitalized for lumbar fracture; improved and discharged to convalescence.
1942-01-06 to 1942-01-30 — Convalesced before return to duty.
1943 — Qualified in pioneer/bricklaying work and received trades pay.
1944-03-04 — Taken on strength of 34th Field Company, R.C.E.
1944-04-12 — Disobeyed lawful command; awarded 3 days confined to barracks.
1944-05-02 — Failure to obey order; awarded 10 days confined to barracks and forfeiture of pay.
1944-07-26 to 1944-07-28 — Embarked from UK and disembarked in France; joined unit in the field during Normandy campaign.
1944-07 to 1945-05 — Served through France, Belgium, Holland and Germany in Northwest Europe.
1945-03-22 to 1945-04-08 — Privilege leave to United Kingdom; returned to unit.
1945-08-09 — Married Amelia Ricketts, widow.
1945-09 — Entered repatriation postings; later served with 3rd Battalion R.C.E.
1946-03-10 — Overseas service terminated; returned to Canada.
1946-04-23 — Examined for penile sore; dark-field negative; herpes genitalis recorded.
1946-04-25 — Honourably discharged on demobilization / return to civil life.
1946-09-11 — Wife Amelia arrived in Canada under repatriation/war-bride program.
1955-01-24 — Enrolled in Reserve Force as Sapper D426218, 3rd Field Engineer Regiment R.C.E. (CA(M)).
1955-06-15 — Appointed paid Lance Corporal.
1955-07 — Completed annual training at Petawawa.
1957-01-01 — Qualified Bricklayer Group I.
1957-02-20 — Passed Field Engineer Group I, Block I trade test.
1957-05-08 — Failed Field Engineer Group I, Block II trade test; practical satisfactory, theory below standard.
1958-05-08 — Released from Reserve Force after 3 years and 104 days.

Notes

Medical: influenza admission in Dec 1940. On 7 Nov 1941 Reid fell from a roof and fractured the left transverse process of L1; he was hospitalized at No. 5 Canadian General Hospital, Taplow, then convalesced until 30 Jan 1942 and returned to duty. The 1946 medical board noted intermittent low-back discomfort, morning vomiting/retching dating from overseas service, and herpes genitalis; he was nevertheless considered fit for demobilization. Discipline: conduct sheet records two field offences in Apr/May 1944 involving disobedience/failure to obey orders, punished by 3 and 10 days confined to barracks, with forfeiture of pay on the latter.

[Previous notes - manual reconciliation required]

Reported in June and accepted July 26, 1940.
Born at Athelstan, Sept. 17, 1912
Died 21 Dec 1972, buried Huntingdon Protestant
atip Request confirmation number EA2026_0171670

Additional Service Notes

WWII service number D-17125. Enlisted 26 Jul 1940 at Montreal in the Royal Canadian Engineers. Initial wartime unit was 2nd Canadian Pioneer Battalion, R.C.E.; later service included 1st Battalion R.C.E., 34th Field Company R.C.E., 3rd Battalion R.C.E. and Canadian repatriation units. Overseas service ran from Aug/Sep 1940 to 10 Mar 1946 and included the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. He entered France on 28 Jul 1944 and served in the Northwest Europe campaign through France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. Post-war Reserve service: D426218, 3rd Field Engineer Regiment R.C.E. (CA(M)), 24 Jan 1955 to 8 May 1958; appointed paid Lance Corporal 15 Jun 1955.

[Previous notes - manual reconciliation required]

Additional Next of Kin Notes

1940 attestation: mother Mrs. Alice Reid, Athelstan/Huntingdon County, Quebec. Existing CWVMP gives George Reid, Glenelm. Married Amelia Ricketts, widow, on 9 Aug 1945 at Salford, Lancashire. War-bride papers give her UK address as 34 South Lonsdale St., Gorse Hill, Stretford, Manchester. Reserve records (1955) give wife Mrs. Millie Reid, 486 1st Ave., Verdun, Quebec, with sons Stephen (born 4 Aug 1947) and Kenneth (born 19 Jan 1950). A repatriation form also lists a child named June, born 31 Mar 1946.

[Previous notes - manual reconciliation required]

Research Notes

Existing CWVMP record is incomplete and contains defaults that should be replaced from the service file: religion is Church of England, not Aboriginal; degree of service is Continental Europe (EUR), not Canada only; place of birth is Athelstan, Huntingdon County, Quebec. The wartime service number is D-17125. D426218 is a later Reserve Force service number and must not replace the WWII number in the WW2 serviceRecord. The file includes significant operational service in Normandy and the subsequent advance through Northwest Europe, making this a strong candidate for any future 'Research further' flag/group. The Reserve documents call his wife Millie, while wartime/repatriation documents call her Amelia; these are likely the same spouse but the file does not explicitly state that Millie is a nickname.