Second World War memorials

Maurice George 'Dixie' Lee - Essex County Constabulary.
Served from 6th November 1935. Died 16th November 1940.

Detective Constable Maurice "Dixie" Lee was the son of Henry and Isabel Lee, of Small Shoes, Good Easter, and married to Florence R Lee. His ability to teach himself foreign languages while he was unemployed served him in good stead.

Joining the Essex Regiment in 1928 he became an army interpreter, before buying himself out to join the police in 1935. Posted initially to Grays, and then to Hatfield Heath, Maurice married a lady from nearby Good Easter. With World II imminent, Dixie Lee's linguistic ability in German and Dutch were needed at HQ, and he was posted to CID to deal with aliens and translation work.

He was working at HQ one evening in November 1940 when a German bomber returning from a raid on London dropped a number of shrapnel bombs. One fell under the clock tower, one in the Chief Constable's garden, and the others in nearby fields. Dixie Lee and Alex Scott were two of the officers on guard duty that night and both were fatally injured.

Dixie Lee died later in the day at Chelmsford Hospital aged 29 and was burried in the churchyard at Saint Andrew's Church, Good Easter. His wife Florence died on March 21st 1985, aged 75 and was buried with her husband. The inscription as observed on the gravestone is written out below. Note that the death date on the grave stone clearly reads 'Nov. 18th 1940' even though official records confirm that Maurice Lee died on November 16th 1940.

"In Loving Memory of my dear husband Maurice George Lee who died by enemy action Nov. 18th 1940 aged 29 years and his dear wife Florence Rachel Lee who died March 21st 1985 aged 75 years. At Rest."

He is commemorated in the Civilian War Dead Register in Westminster Abbey.

Detective Constable 298. Serial Number 3455.

Essex County
Constabulary

• Richard B Ball
• Leonard D Bannister
• Cecil E Bearman
• Basil J Boggis
• John H Coventry
• Robert Curry
• Albert Davies
• Harold Greenhalgh
• Laurence C Hartman
• William H Heap
• Reginald T Hunt
• Norman Kaye
• Maurice G Lee
• Alexander H B Mackay
• Albert R Oxenham
• Felix O W Pauley
• Henry C Pigerham
• John N Rumsby
• Alexander S Scott
• Geoffrey W Smith
• Francis W Tarry
• Gerald N Totterdell
• Leonard W Vernon
• Harry Warden
• Frederick G Waring
• Gordon G Warner

Southend Borough
Constabulary

• Hermanus B De Leur
• Reginald K Ford
• Edward J Gillingham
• Herbert E C Pegrum
• William M Sim
• Frederick W Woods

Colchester Borough
Constabulary

• David M Kirk