WorldWar II
FallenSoldiers - RockwoodCenotaph
Page 24
LAWRENCENELLISGRAHAM
A58918Craftsman
Born:
14March1920 inEramosaTownship, Ontario
PreviousOccupation:
Farmer
Enlisted:
9 January 1942
Died:
16December 1944 at the age of 24
Buried:
Schoonselhof Cemetery, nearAntwerp, Belgium
LawrenceNellisGrahamwas born inEramosaTownship on 14March
1920 to JohnWingfield andElizaMary Jane (neeNellis) Graham.
Hewas the only surviving son of their ten children (JessieAgnes,
EllenElizabeth, ColenaEdna, Margaret Lillian, Evelyn Irene, plus
four childrenwho died as babies: MarionEliza, Gertrude, Una and
Benjamin). Alongwith his sisters, hewas raised on the family farmon Lot 2, east half of Concession
VI &west half of Con.VII of EramosaTownship. Hismother was incapacitatedwithMyocarditis and
he left school at the age of 15 toworkwith his father on the farm.
On 4December 1941, under theNational ResourcesMobilizationAct (NRMA), hewas conscripted
intohome defence service. At this time, therewas an increasing shortage of farm labour and his
parents’ healthwas deteriorating. It is alleged that the officers of the #10BasicTrainingCourse
advised him that hewouldnot be able to go back home to the farm until thewar was over and they
encouraged him to volunteer for Overseas service, which he didon 9 January 1942. During his
medical, PrivateGrahamwas found to haveasthma and rhinitis but was deemed fit. About eleven
months later, his father suffered a stroke that left one side of his body paralyzed andwith a speech
impediment. Hismother tried towork the farmwith the help of oneof his sisters and neighbours
(whoalso had their own farms to look after). Hewas granted compassionate leave from 15
December 1942 to 3May 1943 to help care for his parents and prepare the farm for spring planting.
Hewas granted an extension toplant the crops but on 16May, hismother died of a cerebral
hemorrhage. On compassionate grounds, he applied for a discharge (or at least further leave). His
applicationwas supportedby the family doctor (who had previously served as aMajor in theMedical
Corps) whowrote “Lawrencewas the only one left towork this prosperous farm but it has nowgone
toweeds. The110acres sustained12milk cows, 9 young cows, 3work horses, 2brood sows, 10
sucklingpigs, 400 hens and cockerels and about 20 geese.” Senior Officers reviewed his situation
but did not want to allow “farmers’ sons dispensation” and turned down his request.
PrivateGraham returned to theArmy and qualified as a driver/mechanic andwas assigned to
theRoyal CanadianElectrical andMechanical Engineers, 4thArmouredTroopsWorkshop as a
Craftsman. He departedCanada on 24April 1944 andafter spending onemonth inEnglandwas
shipped toFrance on 28 July.
CraftsmanLawrenceNellisGrahamwas killed by aV2 rocket on 16December 1944 inBelgium. He
is buried at Schoonselhof Cemetery, nearAntwerp, Belgium. His name is alsomemorialized in the
Books of Remembrance in thePeaceTower of theCanadianParliament Buildings, Ottawa.
