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Norman William Lee
by Paul Lovell 2016
In the summer of 1914 in Willesden, a suburb of north west London, the marriage took place between William Alexander Lee and Edith Grimwood. William, a successful local solicitor, would go on to become Secretary of the Mining Association Of Great Britain rising to the position of Chairman and being awarded the CBE for his valuable work.
The couple were to have four children, two girls and two boys, one of whom was Norman born on April 10th 1919. Norman’s education began at Bowden House Preparatory School and then, in 1930 continued at Uppingham, which at the time was a boys only fee paying public boarding school in Rutland, Leicestershire. In 1937 Norman attended Clare College, the second oldest of Cambridge’s 31colleges. Leaving in 1938 he joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve although it was not until 1940 when he was called up to commence his training. Enlisting at RAF Cardington in Bedfordshire he was issued with his first uniform and his official service number of 954159.
Norman started his RAF career in June 1940 at No 3 Initial Training based at the coastal towns of Hastings, Surrey. Then on to Torquay, Devon staying in requisitioned guesthouses, whilst under going kitting out, medicals, basic drill and receiving instruction on RAF life and it’s requirements.
Norman began his flying instruction in July with No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School located at the De Havilland School Of Flying at Hatfield in Hertfordshire. The school taught both civilian and RAF pilots in De Havilland 82A Tiger Moth Bi-planes painted a striking maroon and silver. On July 31st Norman completed his first solo flight in Tiger Moth G-ACDB and by the end of the course in September he had completed over 20 hours of dual instructed flying and nearly 32 hours of solo flying, plus ten hours instrument training in a Link trainer. The Chief Flying Instructor wrote in his logbook his assessed rating of ‘Above Average.’
The next stage of Norman’s training was with No. 12 Service Flying Training School at RAF Grantham in Lincolnshire. This included flying the under powered Fairey Battle, a single engined monoplane that could carry a crew of three. These had been relegated to training use after suffering heavy losses during front line service particularly during the Battle Of France in May 1940. Having successfully competed this course with an assessment of “Average” Norman was awarded his “Wings” Flying Badge on November 27th 1940 and became a Pilot Officer, his service number changing to 88724.
In December Norman was posted to 56 Operational Training Unit to prepare for frontline service. 56 O.T.U. Were based at Sutton Bridge in Lincolnshire and were equipped with the Hawker Hurricane Mk1. In January 1941 Norman joined his first Squadron 504 who were also using the Hurricane and at the time were based at RAF Exeter in Devon. 504 were mainly involved in convoy protection patrols along the south coast from Plymouth to Portsmouth. They would aim to keep at least two aircraft circling in an anti-clockwise direction at all times over a convoy whilst passing through their sector. During this period some night time patrols were also flown. Further training was also continued and on February 4th they used the firing range at Crichel Down, Dorset for air to ground firing practice.
In early 1941 merchant shipping losses in the Atlantic ocean were increasing, with ships being bombed and destroyed by the long range German Focke-Wulf 200 Condor aircraft, these aircraft were able to roam freely as they flew beyond the reach of the land based single engined Spitfire and Hurricane fighters. One answer to the problem was the setting up on May 5th of the Merchant Ship Fighter Unit (M.S.F.U) located close by the River Mersey at RAF Speke in Liverpool. The unit used Hawker Sea Hurricanes, which were mounted on to Catapult Armed Merchantman (C.A.M. ships). These ships were fitted with a rocket powered catapult sledge, which fired the aircraft in to the air; the aircraft were nicknamed Hurricats or Catafighters. These ships would become part of a convoy and would continue to carry their own cargo. The majority were owned by the Ministry of War Transport and known as Empire Ships as all of their names started with the word Empire.
Once launched against a hostile aircraft there was no way to recover the aircraft back to the ship, so unless the ship was close enough to shore to allow a landing, the pilot would be required to bail out of the aircraft and take to his parachute, and then to his dingy to await recovery from the sea.
Due to the great danger the pilots were in from the initial launch of the aircraft, possible combat with an enemy aircraft and then a parachute jump and recovery, the pilots were all volunteers. Norman courageously put himself forward for this unit and was posted to RAF Speke on May 28th to begin training, followed by detachment to RAF Abbotsinch in Scotland. For the first week in June Norman spent time practise flying in Sea Hurricane V7647, this included an actual catapult launch from the S.S Empire Spray followed by a landing back at RAF Abbotsinch. Later in the month Norman sailed in one of its sister ships the S.S.Empire Foam from Greenock, Scotland to Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada, returning in July to Liverpool, England in the same ship. August continued with more practice flying followed by another sailing, this time in the M.V Empire Spray to New York in America, and again returning to Liverpool. He was lucky enough not to be required to take to his aircraft on either of these trips.
Between 1941 and 1943 when the M.S.F.U was finally disbanded, there had been only nine combat launches, one of these aircraft was able to make it to land, and the others were all ditched at sea. One allied pilot was killed with eight German aircraft being destroyed and one other damaged.
After two trips pilots were rotated off the unit to allow them to keep their flying skills current, as they would probably not have flown very many hours during their time with the M.S.F.U.
On November 14th Norman began a brief period with 276 Squadron, an Air Sea Rescue squadron based at RAF Harrowbeer in Devon. This was quickly followed on the 29th by a posting to RAF Perranporth, Cornwall, to join 66 Squadron flying long range Spitfire IIs, which were fitted with an extra 30-gallon fuel tank in their starboard wing. This was the start of another period of coastal patrolling, but also included offensive forays, and flying escort protection to Blenheim bomber aircraft into occupied France. Whilst with 66 Norman would meet two other pilots Raoul Daddo-Langlois, nicknamed Daddy Longlegs and Percy ‘Laddie’ Lucas who would all meet again later on Malta, where they would all serve with distinction.
In December Norman was promoted from Pilot Officer to the rank of Flying Officer.
At the end of January 1942 Norman would have been advised of his imminent posting to Malta, and having flown Spitfire Vb AB377 off HMS Eagle to the island he was subsequently transferred to 249 Squadron at Takali.
The Spitfires first went into action over Malta on the 10th March, although Norman did not fly until the following day and then did not make any contact. He flew 4 times during the following days and on the 18th made his first claim. In the early evening a large raid of 24 Ju88s with a large fighter escort had began bombing the airfields, six Hurricanes and four Spitfires were scrambled to intercept. Norman fired at the Me109s with out success, but also shot at and claimed a Ju88 as damaged using up all his ammunition in the process.
A week later Norman made his second claim this time for a Ju87 Stuka bomber as probably destroyed, noting excitedly in his logbook ‘Hundreds of bloody Stukas.’
On the 28th Norman along with three other 249 Squadron pilots attacked a loan reconnaissance Ju88 although they were unable to shoot it down it was sufficiently damaged that they all claimed a quarter share of it as probably destroyed. Norman’s aircraft was struck by return fire from the Ju88’s gunners and although his Merlin engine was damaged, he was able to land safely.
April 1st brought another raid by Ju88’s along with their fighter escort, Norman was one of those scrambled but during the interception, in which he claimed a Ju88 as damaged, he became separated from the others and was attacked by six Me109’s and was as he later wrote ‘shot to hell.’ He received a shell splinter in the ankle of his right foot, which required a visit to the hospital. He was well enough however to be able to spend some time with fellow pilot Peter Nash socialising in Valletta during the next two days.
Norman flew again on the afternoon of April 10th when six Spitfires and ten Hurricanes intercepted a large force of around 80 Ju88 and Ju87 bombers attacking Malta’s airfields and the Grand Harbour. Norman claimed one Ju88 damaged and another shot down whilst it was attacking Takali airfield, the aircraft breaking up in the air with the German gunners turret breaking away from the aircraft and landing with the dead gunner still inside it on to the airfield. Although also claimed by the airfield gun battery, Norman believed that this was his victory and apparently kept the dead gunner’s cap as a souvenir.
The following day Norman along with Peter Nash went to the Mtarfa Military Hospital to visit some of their injured colleagues, and whilst there also saw several of the German aircrew who had been shot down and were also receiving medical attention.
In the darkness of the evening of April 21st, Norman along with several others pilots, left Malta in a Wellington aircraft to fly to El Ballah airfield in Egypt in order to collect and return with some replacement Hurricanes for 229 Squadron. They spent over two weeks testing the Hurricanes and their cannon armament. On one test flight Norman became lost in a sand storm and mistakenly landed at Gazala in Libya only four miles from the German lines. On May 7th Norman flew Hurricane IIc BN537 on the dangerous four and half hour flight over the sea from Gambut in Libya to Hal Far airfield on Malta. On his return he noted in his logbook the death of two of his fellow pilots Norman McQueen and Gordon Murray who had been killed during his time away.
May 9th saw Norman taking off three times on interceptions the first two no contact was made, but on the third occasion he closed in on a group of Ju87’s only to find his cannons would not fire and his own aircraft was struck in the coolant radiator by one of the 87’s.
On May 10th a bombing force made up of 20 Ju87s and ten Ju88’s approached the Grand Harbour protected by a large Me109 escort. Recent Spitfire reinforcements from the carriers HMS Eagle and the American USS Wasp meant a substantial defending force was now available and 37 Spitfires and 13 Hurricanes took off to intercept. In the frenzied mêlée that followed Norman was able to line up against a Ju87, which he attacked, initially claiming it as a probable it was later confirmed as destroyed.
Two sorties were made by Norman on the 12th, although no contact was made on the first, on the second he was able to swoop down from 23,000 feet upon four Me109’s damaging one before his cannons jammed, his own aircraft was then struck in the aileron of the wing by a cannon shell. He had a similar experience two days later when, having bounced 3 Ju88’s from out of the sun, again his cannons stopped firing and his own aircraft was hit by return fire.
On the morning of May 15th the Italians attacked the island with three SM84 bombers escorted by around 30 MC202 fighters. Norman was able to damage one of the bombers before again he found his own cannons would no longer fire.
On May 17th Peter Nash was killed and Norman noted in his logbook
‘That leaves only 5 left of the original “Cape Hawke” fifteen’
In fact the number of survivors at that time either with 249 or 185 Squadron was nine with six having been lost. He also noted that since 249 Squadron had arrived they had destroyed 100 enemy aircraft, 72 of them since the Spitfires first went into action on March 10th.
Apart from a ten minute flight as a passenger in a Beaufighter that was undergoing a cannon test, Norman did not fly again for ten days until May 25th when he flew against an attacking Italian force. He damaged one bomber but was then himself again struck by return fire causing a coolant leak and an immediate return to base.
During June Norman, in addition to intercepting raiding Axis aircraft was involved twice in escort duties, first to Swordfish and then to Albacore torpedo bombers as they attacked Italian naval shipping off the coast of Sicily. When ‘Laddie’ Lucas took over the command of 249 squadron during this month he chose two pilots who he knew well as his flight commanders.
‘It was to two Englishmen of solid worth and ability that I turned for my flight commanders. Norman Lee and Raoul Daddo-Langlois, two well-educated products of the British public school system, became the linchpins in the team on whom I could always depend. They quickly gained the respect of their overseas comrades. Authority came easily to them.’
Five Up.‘Laddie’Lucas. (Sidgewick and Jackson Ltd). 1978
‘(Norman’s) rather diffident approach cloaked more than his fair share of purpose and resolve.’
Malta: The Thorn In Rommel’s Side. Stanley Paul and Co. 1992
Norman took over B flight from Buck McNair and was also promoted at this time to the rank of Fight Lieutenant. On July 6th another Italian raid comprising of Cant Z1007 bombers and a large escort of Reggiane 2000 and Macchi 202 fighters approached the island. Norman led a flight of eleven Spitfires head on at the Cant bombers unnerving them enough that they dropped their bombs in to the sea and retreated. Norman only flew on a few more occasions before he left Malta including an escort for the high-speed launch used for sea rescues. His final flight was on the 15th to test the cannons of a Spitfire.
In the late evening of July 20th a Lockheed Hudson was waiting to take some of the tour expired aircrew from Malta to Gibraltar. Norman was amongst the group, which also included Paul Brennan, Ray Hesselyn and Laddie Lucas who described his feelings as the aircraft took off just after midnight on it’s six and a half hour flight.
‘The moon was on the wane as we became airborne, but still the whiteness of the island down below, framed by the darkness of the sea around it, stood out, boldly as ever. Drenched in nostalgia, none of us could credit that we were actually leaving Malta and going home. It was as if we had never known any other life and that our sojourn on the island had lasted for an eternity.’
Malta: The Thorn In Rommel’s Side. Stanley Paul and Co. 1992
The group stayed a few days on Gibraltar before continuing their flight on July 24th in the Hudson, taking over seven hours to reach R.A.F. Hendon in London.
After a period of leave Norman was posted in August 1942 to 53 Operational Training Unit based at Llandow and it’s satellite airfield Rhoose in Glamorgan, Wales. Here he was to act as an instructor passing on his knowledge and experience to pilots preparing to join their first squadrons. 53 O.T.U. Were at the time using the Miles Master two seat trainer and Spitfire MkII fighters.
On the 18th September the Supplement to the London Gazette announced confirmation of the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Norman, an award won for his time flying on Malta with 249 Squadron. The citatation was as follows.
‘This Officer has been engaged in active operations over Malta for three and a half months, most of which were during the period of heavy air attacks, when the number of our own aircraft were few, and every operation involved fighting against great odds. He has destroyed three enemy aircraft and damaged several more. Flt Lt Lee has on all occasions led his flight with great gallantry.’
The following month on the 17th October Norman married his Fiancée Eileen Mary Pamela Barlow at Marylebone Registry Office in London. Preferring to be called Pamela, she worked in the capital as a civilian for the Admiralty. Norman and his new bride were able to enjoy a honeymoon together before he returned to instructing again on the 31st
October and through out the rest of the year.
The early months of 1943 however saw Norman flying a rather different aircraft during his ongoing duties with 53 O.T.U. The Westland Lysander was a large single engined aircraft with a high monoplane wing and a fixed undercarriage; this limited its speed to a maximum of 220mph. The Lysanders had been converted for target towing duties and carried a crew of two, Norman being the pilot and behind him a winch operator who streamed out behind the aircraft a Drogue. This was a target for the Spitfire pilots to practise firing at. The exercises normally took place at a designated firing range in the Bristol Channel, three Spitfires taking it in turns to come in and attack the Drogue with different coloured ammunition, the target would then be dropped over the airfield and checked for successful red green or blue coloured strikes on it.
On April 4th the constant dangers of flying were illustrated when one of Norman’s friends and colleague at 53 O.T.U. And a pilot from his days on Malta was killed. Anthony Barton had led the second Spitfire delivery to Malta off H.M.S.Eagle on March 29th 1942, three weeks after Operation Spotter. Having reached the rank of Squadron leader with the DFC and Bar, he was killed when he was forced to make an emergency landing when the engine on his Spitfire cut out as he tried to land at Llandow. His aircraft was subsequently involved in a collision on the runway with another Spitfire waiting to take off. The pilot of the other Spitfire, 21 year old Sergeant Charles Hamilton, also lost his life. To remember Anthony, Norman secured a photograph of his former friend in to his logbook.
At the end of April Norman was attached for a period to 122 Squadron then based at Hornchurch in Essex, in order to gain experience on the MkIX Spitfire prior to his next posting which would again be overseas, this time to North Africa.
In May Norman embarked on the S.S. Duchess of York, a 20,000-ton former transatlantic liner built in 1928, she had been requisitioned in 1940 by the Admiralty for use as a troop ship. Norman arrived safely at the port of Algiers in Algeria on 27th May 1943. Two months later the S.S. Duchess Of York was attacked by German bombers and was subsequently sunk off the coast of Portugal with the loss of 27 lives.
On June 10th Norman was flown in a Dakota from Maison Blanche in Algeria to Mateur in Tunisia to join 324 Wing. The next few weeks were spent on becoming familiar with the local area and practise flying sessions.
July 1943 was to see the start of Operation Husky the Allied invasion of Sicily; this had only been seriously planned six months earlier in January. The invasion began on July 10th and continued for 39 days until August 16th when all Axis resistance ceased. Air superiority had been gained with 25 squadrons of Spitfires based on Malta and the smaller adjacent island of Gozo.
Norman was to play his part in the invasion and on July 8th he was flown by Dakota to join 93 Squadron who were also a part of 324 Wing. The former Battle of Britain pilot Wing Commander Hugh Dundas led the wing, which now comprised of 93, 43, 72 and 243 Squadrons. The MkV and MkIX Spitfires of 93 squadron were to be based at Hal Far airfield on Malta, a year after leaving; Norman was once again back on the Mediterranean island.
On the day of the invasion Norman flew two sorties to cover the troops landing near Syracuse. On the second sortie the aircraft of 93 Squadron were attacked by six Italian MC202 fighters, Norman fired at one but without result. The next two days were spent on patrolling the beaches and the South East of Sicily. On the 12th around 7.00pm 93 Squadron spotted below them six Me109s, Norman flying a Mk IX Spitfire (LZ837 HN-W) along with Sqn Ldr Wilf Sizer dived down to attack, chasing one at low level and damaging it before his cannons once again jammed. The following day, this time in a MkV Spitfire (JK306 HN-U) whilst flying near Augusta on the east of Sicily, 93 came across eight MC202 fighters, which they attacked. Norman flying with Flt Sgt Raymond Baxter (who would after the war become a well known BBC television broadcaster) believed that between them they had destroyed one of the Italian aircraft. Norman also claimed two others as damaged, with no losses from their own Squadron.
On July 14th 93 Squadron relocated from their base on Malta to the captured airfield at Comiso near the south coast of Sicily. It had the benefit of a long concrete runway and the pilots would have been interested to examine the several damaged enemy Me109 aircraft that littered the airfield. One of these fighters was subsequently repaired and painted bright yellow and having been given prominent British markings, was to be flown to evaluate its performance in front of a crowd of curious pilots. The flight did not turn out well as, after becoming airborne, the engine of the aircraft caught fire, although the pilot was able to bale out and make a safe parachute landing.
The remainder of July was spent patrolling and providing escort to the bombers, twin engined B-25 Mitchell bombers and the single engined Curtiss P-40 Kittybombers. These carried two 250lb bomb side by side under their fuselage, which were dropped whilst the aircraft executed a shallow dive. The B-25 Mitchells required the long concrete runway at Comiso resulting in the Spitfires moving out to Pachino on Cape Passaro on the south east of Sicily. Here the airstrip was within a cleared vineyard and only around 800 meters long. The aircraft of 324 wing were disbursed amongst the vines on cleared track ways, and everything became covered in the thick red dust thrown up by the aircraft. The pilots and crew also had to suffer from the constant presence of flies, which fed off any cut or scratch to bare skin.
August was to continue as July had ended with more rendezvous with bombers to escort them to their Italian targets. On the 15th Norman was posted to join 43 Squadron as the Flight Commander of ‘A’ Flight, still within 324 Wing. The first day in his new role was an uneventful escort of B-25 Mitchells, but the next day would be much more dramatic.
On the afternoon of August 17th Norman led a flight of Spitfires on the thirty-minute flight to the near by airfield of Lentini where a Supermarine Walrus MkI air sea rescue plane from 284 Squadron was based. They were to act as escort for the aircraft as it searched for a shot down airman off the coast of Bianco at the toe of Italy. Also in that area at the same time were two A-36A Invaders, the dive-bomber version of the North American Mustang fighter. These were flown by two RAF pilots F/O John Griffith DFC (HK947-A) and F/O William Gilliland (HK956-E). They were from 1437 Strategical Reconnaissance Flight and were flying over the east coast of Italy returning from an inland sortie. The two pilots seeing aircraft below them, mistook them for Me109s and swept down to attack F/O Griffith fired at the leading aircraft, which was Norman’s, and shot it down luckily not injuring him and so allowing him to take to his parachute and bale out in to the sea. The escorted Walrus (X9506) flown by Warrant Officer K.G. Hall with Wireless Operator Flt Sgt J. R. Berry promptly landed and picked him up.
The two A-36A Invaders continued along the coast and carried out a low level strafing run against a column of vehicles, Griffith’s aircraft was struck by return fire from a 20mm flak gun setting his engine on fire, although he was able to gain sufficient height before baling out in to the sea 100 meters off the coast of Cape Bruzzano. F/O Gilliland circled overhead and saw his colleague climb safely into his dingy, he then radioed his position and called for assistance. Within a short time a Walrus rescue plane appeared to pick him up. This was the same aircraft that had retrieved Norman from the water and so Norman and the pilot that had shot him down were forced to share an awkward journey together back to Cassibile airfield on Sicily.
The rest of the month continued with bomber escorts and practise flights. On the 31st Norman and F/O Anthony Snell, pursued at 33,000 feet, a German Ju88 reconnaissance plane, but Snell’s plane suddenly left the formation and crashed down into the sea killing the 22 year old. It was believed his oxygen supply had failed causing him to black out.
In early September Norman was flown out of Sicily by Dakota to No. 2 Base Personnel Depot in Tunis, Tunisia where he was based for several weeks until being posted to 144 Maintenance Unit at Maison Blanche, Algiers in November. At 144 M.U. he acted as test pilot on aircraft having recently undergone service or repair including Spitfires, Kittihawks and the Fairchild 24, known to the RAF as the Fairchild Argus.
On January 3rd 1944 Norman was flying a Spitfire MkVIII (JF787) when, whilst in the circuit to land after a test, the engine suddenly cut out and an emergency landing had to be made. In the ensuing crash landing Norman was seriously injured and was taken to the No.2 RAF General Hospital where he remained for 14 days. It was decided to return Norman to the UK to recover and so on January 30th at Algiers he boarded the 23,000 ton S.S. Strathmore a former passenger liner converted to a troop ship for the voyage home to England.
After a period of recuperation Norman was posted in March 1944 to 691 Squadron at Roborough, Devon. Formed four months earlier the squadron was used primarily for anti-aircraft cooperation duties with the army and navy in the south west of England. Norman made a couple of Flights in a Hurricane during his time there before his next posting to 22 Operational Training Unit based at Wellesbourne Mountford, Warwickshire.
22 O.T.U. was a bomber training unit training crews mainly on the Wellington bomber. Normans role would have been fighter affiliation either by flying a Miles Martinet aircraft which would have towed a drogue target behind it allowing the bombers gunners to aim and fire at it, or by making dummy attacks in a Hurricane fighter to get them familiar with the types of approach a fast moving fighter would make. The bomber gunners would not have fired live ammunition at the Hurricane but would have had cine cameras attached to their guns, with the film being evaluated later on. It is believed that there were six Hurricanes used by the unit, one of these Hurricane MkIIc (LF738) almost certainly flown by Norman is now preserved at the RAF Museum in Cosford, England.
The middle of December saw Norman posted once more this time to 154 Squadron as a Flight Commander based at Biggin Hill, Kent. The squadron had been disbanded at Naples in early November but had been reformed on the 16th and issued with Spitfire MkVII fighters capable of over 400mph. On February 1st the squadron began long range bomber escort duties, requiring a landing to refuel at Ursel in Belgium. The need for refuelling was over come on February 14th when North American P-51 Mustang IV fighters replaced the squadron’s Spitfires. These aircraft with external tanks had a range of over 1,650 miles, and a maximum speed of 430mph. During March Norman flew sorties deep into the heart of Germany including escorts to Essen, Hanover and over the Ruhr.
On the afternoon of 27th March Norman made his final claim of the war whilst flying over Lubeck, Germany.
‘While flying as Yellow 1 in 154 squadron sweeping Lubeck area, Token leader was engaged in a mêlée of Fw190’s at 4,000ft approx. I was above him at 8,000 ft when I sighted 4 Fw. 190’s several thousand feet below. I bounced them attacking the starboard Fw.190 (short nosed yellow engine cowling with yellow band round fuselage), as my speed built up to about 400mph and they turned out to be doing only a climbing speed of 150 mph, my closing speed was so great that I only had time for one short burst observing strikes on starboard wing plane, then I overshot him, so I climbed away almost vertically to avoid being fired at by the enemy. E/A not seen again. This I claim as damaged with P/O Todd Yellow 2.’
Norman left 154 Squadron at the end of March and was posted to his last wartime squadron 122 based at Andrewsfield in Essex a former American airbase, taken over by the RAF in October as part of 11 Group. The Polish 150 Wing comprising 129, 306 and 315 squadrons were soon joined by 122 Wing 19, 65 and 122 Squadron, all flying Mustang fighters in escort duties to RAF bombers now also flying daytime missions, and the interception of V1 flying bombs.
With bombers now escorted by fighters all the way to their German targets by both day and night, and with the advancing allied troops in the capital Berlin, Germany surrendered on May 8th 1945. Norman drew a cartoon Chad/Kilroy figure in his logbook declaring ‘Wot no more ops ?’
Norman had flown over 900 hours in 25 different types of aircraft from over 80 airfields and from 2 ships. In January 1946 he left the RAF for civilian life once more.
Norman and his wife Pamela set up home in an apartment in Clifton Court in the St John’s area of London, their first child Patrick was born the following year. Norman attended the Regent Street Polytechnic in London, now known as the University of Westminster, where he studied Architecture. A second son Michael was born in 1951. Successfully passing his examinations, Norman became a member of the Royal Institute Of British Architects.
In 1957 Norman and his family moved to Canada where job prospects were better, settling in Don Mills a residential area close to Toronto. He became a civil service architect with the Ontario Provincial Government for five years and for a time lived in Ottawa. In 1961 he worked for the Canadian Government and for a while livid in Toronto. Ten years later, on his retirement, he returned once more to the Don Mills area.
Norman never returned to Malta, although he did return to England, the country of his birth several times. On 30th December 1979 Norman William Lee DFC passed away at the Sunnybrook Veterans Hospital, Toronto. He was aged only sixty.
