Thomas J Lees
Military
Identification confirmed by Ian Lees:
'My Father is the dark haired man on the left in the photo, Laurie Moore is the taller man to the right. When I emailed a Dr Jenny Harding (I expect you know her?) in January shortly after my Father's death, she told me Laurie's widow was still alive.'
Object Number - UPL 29493 - T J Lees with Laurie Moore, 5 BFTS Riddle Field, Clewiston, Florida 1943/44
Born in the UK in 1923, T J Lees joined the RAF in 1943. He began his pilot’s training in the USA and, travelling on the Cunard White Star, RMS Mauritania arrived in Canada in Autumn 1943. There he was issued with the Canadian Pilot’s Flying Log book and from Moncton he travelled to Florida via New York with the other British cadets to join Course 17 at No 5 BFTS, Riddle Field, Clewiston.
The course he attended was from October 4th 1943- April 15th 1944 and his time in Florida was remembered as far from uneventful, including several interesting landings both on a hangar roof and on the airfield.
Following the war he was on a troopship on its way to Japan when it was diverted to India where he was on riot control during the Partition.
T J Lees was an active member of the 5 BFTS Association and died in Kemble in January 2017.
Connections
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Units served with
- Type Category: Air base
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: British
- Unit: 5 British Flying Training School
- Highest Rank: Flight Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Civilian
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 5 British Flying Training School
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Died |
Kemble, Cirencester GL7, UK | 15 January 2017 |
