The Airmen's Stories - Sgt. M A W Lee

Maurice Alexander William Lee, from Ridgeway, Somerset joined the RAFVR about January 1939 as an Airman u/t Pilot. Called up on 1st September 1939 he completed his training and joined 72 Squadron at Croydon on 15th September 1940.

He claimed a He111 destroyed on the 27th. He was posted to 421 Flight on 3rd October, then forming at Hawkinge. On the 15th Lee claimed a Me109 south of Maidstone but then his Spitfire, P7444, was damaged by Me109’s and he was wounded. He crashed attempting a forced-landing at Blackham Farm, Broadoak and was admitted to hospital.

On 12th December Lee's aircraft was again damaged in combat and he made a forced-landing. Later the same day the weather deteriorated and, being unable to return to Hawkinge, he wrecked his Spitfire trying to make an emergency landing at Lingfield.

Lee was sent out in thick morning mist on the 22nd looking for some Wellingtons that were lost. He found two and escorted them in over the Sussex coast. One crashed, killing the crew, and the other made a forced-landing. Lee's own fuel was by then exhausted and he had to glide down through dense cloud to make a belly-landing near Pevensey.

On 31st December 1940 Lee was killed when he crashed near Biggin Hill attempting to land in extremely bad weather. His Spitfire, P7497, was burned out.

He was 21 years old and is buried in St Mary Cray Cemetery, Orpington, Kent.