Lester Cameron Graham Pilot Officer Service No.: J/86951 Royal Canadian Air Force 267 (RAF) Squadron Died: March 25, 1944 Age: 22 Born in Union Centre, Pictou Co., Nova Scotia, on November 5, 1921. Pilot Officer Graham enlisted on December 19, 1940, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The interviewing Officer commented “This boy is a good lad. Worked on his father’s farm and at Debert Air Port on construction. Reserved, but good air crew prospect”. Following training in Canada and obtaining his Pilot’s Flying Badge on October 10, 1941, he departed for overseas arriving in the United Kingdom on November 1941. On April 8, 1942, he was assigned to Middle Eastern Command. 267 RAF Squadron was based in Italy in November 1943 and at RAF Station Bari when Pilot Officer Graham joined the squadron on February 16, 1944. Douglas C-47 Dakota, FD850, departed RAF Bari on March 25, 1944, on a transport operation to Trigno, Italy, with a crew of four and three passengers. Pilot Officer Graham was the co-pilot on the flight. The aircraft attempted to land at the Trigno airfield and having been waved off had “the ill-luck to run into the worst weather conditions ever encountered whilst flying over a mountainous area and being thus trapped, were compelled to fly blind due to a raging snow storm. They were most unfortunate in that their course brought them in line with the peak of the highest mountain in the area. The aircraft crashed into the 3000 ft mountain a few feet from the top and the force of the impact indicated that death was instantaneous.” (Letter of W/Cdr Whitaker 267 Squadron, April 3, 1944). The crash occurred 40 miles south east of Trigno in the Daunian Mountains west of Foggia, Italy. The remains of the crew and passengers were taken to Foggia on March 27, flown to Bari on March 28, and buried at Bari Civil Cemetery the following day. In August 1944, the remains of the crew and passengers were re-buried in the Bari Military Cemetery. Crew: Lester Cameron Graham, Pilot Officer (Co-pilot) Royal Canadian Air Force, Age 22; Westville, Pictou Co., Nova Scotia, James Gabriel Knight, Flight Lieutenant, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Age: 26; Auckland, New Zealand. Harry William Owen Pigram, Flight Sergeant, (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Age: 23; High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, UK. David William McEwan Wood, Flying Officer (Pilot), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Age: 29; Balmenach, Morayshire, Scotland. Passengers: Roland Maurice Chandler, Lance Corporal, Royal Corps Of Signals, Age 39; Gloucestershire. UK. Charles Thomas Douglas Nash, Signalman, Royal Corps Of Signals, Age 27; South East London, UK. Arthur William Winter, Gunner, Royal Artillery, Age 20; Barton Hill, Bristol, UK,

Sources Commonwealth War Graves Commission Library and Archives Canada findagrave Canadian Virtual War Memorial (Lester Cameron Graham)