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Friends and relatives of Tpr. Leonard Magee of the Can. Armoured Corps will be glad to know his parents Mr. and Mrs. Jas. L. Magee, Melbourne St., received a cable from him stating he had arrived safely overseas.
Lindsay soldier reported missing
Word has been received to the effect that Leonard Magee, Melbourne St. E., has been reported as missing. He was a member of the Tank Corps and was engaged in the invasion in France.
The young soldier attended Victoria School in the East Ward. He has been in the army for three years.
Leonard Magee Unreported - Was in Tank Corps
Reported Missing; Leonard Magee is
second East Ward man in as many days to be so listed
Friends of Leonard Magee will regret to learn that he is listed as missing in operations.
Leonard was 22 and a member of a Tank Corps, believed to be made up of the flame throwing type of tanks.
He attended the East Ward School and is well-known in Lindsay and district.
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Trooper Leonard Magee Missing since June 11,
Reported killed on Active Service.
Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Magee, 155 Melbourne St. east have received information that their son Trooper Leonard Magee, who was reported missing some weeks ago, is now reported as officially killed in action. He was one of 'Monyts' Corps and was one of the Canadians to take part in the spearhead of the invasion in France. He was reported as missing on June 11th.
Trooper Leonard Magee was a wireless operator with the Tank unit. He received his early training at Peterboro and Camp Borden where he was with the Grey and Simcoe Regiment. He was then transferred to the 6th Canadian Armored Regiment. 1st Hussars. He was overseas one year.
Another son, Donald, who is only 19. is also in uniform. He enlisted with the tank corp and is now with the infantry.
Leonard Magee was well known to many in Lindsay. He attended the East Ward School and was quite popular with teachers and fellow students.
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SERVICE HELD IN MEMORY OF FALLEN HEROES
Tpr. Leonard Magee and Rflm. Arhur Williams Who Paid Supreme Sacrifice, Remembered at Queen St. Church Service.
At the Sunday morning service in Queen Street United , Church, the Minister announced that, among those on the Military Honor Roll of that church, seven have already paid the supreme sacrifice, seven have been wounded, two are prisoners of war and one is missing.
Trooper Leonard Magee and Rifleman Arthur Williams, sons of Mr. and Mrs. James Magee, 155 Melbourne East and Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Williams, 78 Queen St. respectively, and in whose memory the morning service was held on Sunday last, were killed in action in France on June 11th, 1944. Leon ard was a wireless operator in the 6th Canadian Armoured Regiment (1st Hussars) and was killed in action during the severe battle engagement of his unit on the afternoon of June 11th. Arthur was a member of "D”' Company, 1st Battalion, Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, which took part in a modern "charge of the Light Brigade" supported by tanks, in an assault which saw nine men battle courageously through to the objective a village which was thought to be an enemy strong point. Arthur was one of these nine brave men. He was killed after reaching the objective. On that memorable Sun day of June 11th, 1944, "D" Company ended up with only five men who had not been either killed or wounded. At the Memorial Service the' Minister quoted dispatches from the London England "Star" and Toronto "Globe and Mail' describing the battle in which Leonard and Arthur bravely fought and died on that crucial day.
During the service, several letters were. Read - letters which officers had written to the next of kin. Leonard's padre, Capt. Creelman. wrote in part: "I have not only been Tpr. Magee's padre but his friend as well, and I am writing you as a friend should do.
"Tpr. Magee was a good soldier. I think that what he did, and what he gave, was what he wished to do and what he was willing to give You can well be proud of him as one of the men who have made Canada great and who have rendered her name glamorous." Leonard's Troop Officer, Lieut. McCormick, now a patient in Christie Street Hospital, Toronto, wrote in part: "Len and I were in the same tank together on June 11th. Our unit was ordered forward to break up an enemy counter-attack. In the action that followed, our tank received a direct hit from an 88 mm shell. Len was killed instantly and his friend, Wallace Millar, also in the turret, was killed after reaching the enemy counter attack was, broken up. It had been the most serious threat to the beachhead since D-Day. The cost was high and I pray that we who are left may be worthy of their sacrifice."
Arthur's Chaplain, Capt. Clough, a former rector of the Anglican Church in Port Perry, wrote a very comforting letter. The officer of Arthur's Platoon, Lieut. Bean, who was wounded in the same battle gave the following information "Arthur was killed in an attack on June 11th. Ten men in the platoon were killed during the battle. They were all buried together in a little orchard near a wayside shrine They were buried by our own padre, Jack Clough, which is the way they would have wanted it." In another paragraph, Lieut. Bean declared: "Your son was a man, Mrs. Williams. During the five days of fighting which took place before his death, he was as steady and cheerful as though it was a scheme in England. I am proud to have led men like your son, and when I go back, I only hope that I can have more like him." Arthur's Platoon Sergeant, Sgt. Sam Scrulton one of the five survivors of "D" Comp. after the terrible battle sent a letter containing very valuable information. He stated in part: "Art came to my platoon about a year ago, along with the rest of the boys and we started building a team that was unbeatable. We trained, ate, played and fought together. We were more like a sports' team and certainly grew to look upon each other as brothers. The spirit of 17 Platoon on D-'Day could never be surpassed. It was made up of men like Art, 34 of us. He certainly did a great bit of work, Mrs. Williams. I'm proud of him and shall never forget him. He never complained, never shirked a job and was well-liked within the Company. I remember seeing him on June 11th, he was with the nine of us for a short while." (Sgt. Scruttos now wears the D.C.M. and Lieut. Bean the M.C. symbolic for the wonderful job that 17 Platoon did). In a letter written to Arthur's mother, Sgt. Leroy Williams stated: 'He made a good name for himself" in the regiment and was considered an all-round good sport by the boys. His sergeant told me more than once that he couldn't ask for a better, steadier gunner. So, no doubt, he did just as well with the infantry. He left the outfit only because he wanted a change, and I know the Major was quite satisfied with him.
The Minister read also a portion of a letter which Arthur had recently written to Queen Street Church: "Thanks a lot for the Easter greetings from you and the congregation of the Queen Street United Church. I miss my regular church a lot since I have been over here and am looking forward to the time when my duty is done for my King and Country, so I can re-join my church. In the Army and away from home, it is hard to keep on the right road, but being brought up in the church from child hood will make the task much easier. I am proud to be the son of the best mother and father who brought me up in life until I was old enough to step out on my own in the world. The Nazis have been given the wrong belief and it is up to the United Nations to bring them back to the Lord's way, which can be done with the Lord's help. I go to different churches since I have been out in the world on my own but would sooner turn in the walk to the Queen street United Church in Lindsay. On Sunday evening a voice inside me would say I should go to church and ninety-nine times of a hundred, I would go, as the Lord's voice is stronger than any other voice in the world.
At this juncture the pastor stated that Arthur attended Holy Communion conducted by the padre on the day previous to D-Day and then paid personal tribute, pointing out that the parsonage folk had had many intimate chats with Arthur at the Parsonage. In a closing note, he spoke of the supremacy of self-sacrifice.
The choir, under the direction of Mr. Hilton Manley and with Miss Mary Thorburn at the Console, sang Prof. W. E. Fletcher's beautiful composition, ''We Give Immortal praise," Miss Doreen Agnew sang by request "Open the Gates of the Temple.' The organist, during the Offertory, played a request number "Safe in the Arms of Jesus". The last hymn, "Will Your Action Hold?' was one of the favorite hymns of these two brave boys.
Both boys were born in Lindsay and attended the East Ward School Leonard also attended the Collegiate.
Dalton Magee, a brother of Leonards is also in the Army. Arthur has three sisters Grace, (Mrs. Ralph Henley) of Brantford, Jean (Mrs. Dan Riley) of Glenarm and Marjorie (Mrs. Mervyn Short) of Petawawa. These, with their sorrowing parents, mourn the loss of these noble and brave soldier lads.
