The Reid family of Dryden had six brothers who were all enlisted with the Canadian armed forces during World War II. Hugh and Bill (William) served with the Lake Superior Regiment. Frank was enlisted with the Royal Canadian Artillery. Milton saw action with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles unit. Finally Gordon was a member of the reserve army in Dryden.
Though not certain, James went missing over the North Sea after a bombing mission in Bremen, Germany.
James' sister ( Minni (Reid) Horn) describes James as clever and very mature. James was tall and had curly
hair.
Tom Leach (a DHS alumni, and first cousin to Leonard Leach) went to school with James and remembers him well. Tom remembers James as very intelligent. The two men met up in London England and they spent a day walking through the city and an eveneing together at the "Beaver Club" in London. The Beaver Club was a social outlet popular with Canadian servicemen stationed in England during the war. Tom Leach, enlisted with the Canadian Army, had arrived in England six months earlier and had basically spent the time just "sitting around". On the other hand, Jim had been enlisted with the R.C.A.F. and had participated in many flights over Germany. Tom remembers that evening and the conversation he had with Jim. Jim only talked about "the many casualties among the airmen", and he was concerned about his own life. Tom understood Jim's concerns. Jim had completed many missions over the continent during a period when the German air defences were lethal.
James' sister in law, Marjorie Reid also remembers James very well. Of all the Reid boys, Marjorie says that James was the most mature for his age. "James was not naive about the war", she adds. "He understood th seriousness of war and knew well that things would not necessarily turn out rosy".
At the time that he was to leave to serve his duty overseas, Marjorie was expecting her first child. James put his arm around her and asked her to name her child after him if it was a boy. Marjorie would have kept this promise, but she gave birth to a girl.
After learning of James' death, his mother reacted stoically. Marjorie expressively stated that "the war was not a good time for mothers"
During numerous conversations with Marjorie, she articulated on more than one occasion that the war period was a difficult time in Dryden. Every day people anxiously listened to the radio fearing they would hear the name of a friend or loved one mentioned on the casualty list.
News did not travel quickly during those days as it does today. Compounding the delay it took
in receiving news from overseas, was the governments censoring of details surrounding
the exact nature of a soldiers death. The Canadian government would often not reveal
the details of a soldiers death so that the enemy would not learn the true extent of
casualties inflicted on Allied forces. This shroud of secrecy added to the daily stresses felt by the
people here at home.
Here is the short article published in the Dryden Observer on October 23, 1942:
According to a wire received by The Observer last night from the R.C.A.F. at Ottawa, Sgt. James T. Reid of Dryden is "missing after air operations overseas." Sgt. Reid is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Duncan Reid.