After his escape from Dunkirk, my father’s RASC unit spent three years training in various postings in England before it returned to France in August 1944 a few weeks after the D Day landings. His unit supported the allied advance and the liberation of Brussels where he was then stationed for most of 1945. 75 years ago, he took the chance to visit the Menin Gate where his father is commemorated.
Major W J B Lee RASC
388 Tank Company RASC
BLA 14 Mar 1945
My dearest Mum,
I have just returned from a trip to France & on my way down on Monday I managed to travel through Ypres. I have been meaning to go ever since I moved into Belgium & although I’ve been quite near on several occasions I have never actually been into Ypres before.
I approached Ypres from Menin and about two miles short of Ypres itself I saw a sign to the right to St Julien. It was only a muddy third class lane but I followed it along its winding course until I came to the village of St Julien itself. It is a tiny little village – just a few houses and farm buildings on either side of the road, bot more than about twenty all told. All the houses have obviously been rebuilt since the last war; this is the case in the while area of the Ypres salient, as I doubt if any houses were left standing. The only other thing in the village is a very large British Cemetery*- probably about 10 or 15 thousand graves, many of which are marked ‘an unknown British soldier’, an unknown British officer’ and so on. It is still very neat and tidy, in spite of the German occupation, & there were two gardeners busily tending it while I was there. The whole atmosphere was very quiet and peaceful. The village doesn’t seem to bear any scars from the war. In one place at the side of the road was a large pile of rusty shells, obviously a relic of the last war.
I walked around for a while & tried to get a postcard of the village, but there wasn’t even a shop or cafe. So I resumed my journey to Ypres.
The Menin Gate Memorial is a vert fine monument indeed. I was surprised to find how large it id. It really is tremendous. There is no actual gate but it is an archway under which all traffic from Menin to Ypres must pass. Unfortunately it has suffered from this war & in many places the masonry is chipped by shell splinters. Most of the damage is external however & will be repaired quite easily. The inside panels, where all the names are, are almost unscathed. There are about 55000 names inscribed on the various panels, but it only took about five minutes to to find my father’s. Actually it was Wills, my driver, who found it for me. It is on the right side as you mount the steps on the way up to one of the upstairs galleries. A number of Cheshire Regiment officers are grouped together by rank, & under Captains it simply says LEE J, M.C. I bought a book of postcards from a shop nearby and will enclose them in this letter. It really is a very fine memorial – I hope you’ll be able to see it one day**.
I was so pleased at last to have visited Ypres & St Julien & I feel now that I have a picture of them in my mind which I shall carry with me always. Gazing around the countryside I felt as though I was just a little bit nearer to the father I never knew & who died at a younger age than I have been allowed to reach.
I felt I must write at once & let you know as I’m sure you’ll both be interested & pleased. If I’m in that area again I’ll certainly try and renew my acquaintance with the place.
With my fondest love,
Your son,
Jack.
* Possibly Poelcappelle, about 2 miles away, which has over 7000 graves.
** To my knowledge she never did.
Lee Family History 