Born 23 May, 1910 (or 12/ 11/1910) in Manitoba (or Portage la Prairie, Sask.). Son of John Slater Matier and of Janet Matier (nee McLarty), of Steveston, British Columbia,, Portage La Prairie.  Canada. Living at R. R. # 1 Wheatley, Romney Twsp., Kent Co., ON. It was reported in the Wheatley Journal that he had four brothers, Ralph and George of Wheatley, Oliver of Ridgetown and Archie serving with the 30^th Reconnaissance at Camp Borden.  And three sisters Mrs. Robert Golmour, Mrs. H. B. Smyth and Mrs. Robert Ellerbeck living in Port Alma, Kent Co., ON. 

Frank lived in Windsor and enlisted in Windsor, in July 1942. He  attended school in Wheatley and worked on area farms before he settled in Windsor, ON. working at General Motors before enlisting.

He enlisted in the RCAF at Windsor in July 1942. Frank trained at Fengal and Mont Jolye, PQ. He was posted overseas in May of 1943 with the rank of Sergeant.  Ten days after his arrival he would be dead, the result of a German Air-raid.

Age: 32, EAR (Enemy Air Raid) – Date of Death: 23/05/1943, Enemy air raid on Metropole Hotel, Bournemouth, England.  Sgt. Matier was one of twenty-one airmen killed when the Metropole Hotel “ on Lansdowne Square, was bombed at 1300 hrs by approximately 24 Focke Wolfs fighter/bombers. Frank was killed when he went outside and a wall fell on him. He had been put up at the hotel awaiting his baggage before being transferred to his station.” Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead, Grave/Memorial Reference: Row C.4. Grave 99. Cemetery: BOURNEMOUTH NORTH CEMETERY.

Curators Note: The Canadian Virtual War Memorial website has a photo of Francis John.

An excerpt of a letter written by Francis’s commanding officer to his father:

“I know that you will want to know as many details as possible as to how your son met his death. It has now been established that he died as a result of a direct hit on a billet by enemy air craft on Sunday, May 23, 1943. Your son’s funeral took place at Bournmouth on May 29, 1943 at 1:15 p.m., the service being conducted by Flight Lieutenant A. J. Littlewood, RCAF, after which the body was interred in the North Cemetery, Bournemouth. Full service honours were accorded, the coffin being carried by men of his own unit, which also supplied a firing party, The coffin was covered with the Union Jack, and the Last Post was sounded. I enclose photographs which were taken at the time of the funeral. I hope to send you shortly a photograph of the grave, the number of which is C4/99.” WJ 28/04/2010.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Sources

Talbot St. United Church Roll of Honour – Merlin, ON. ”, Index of Overseas Deaths, Found on the Wheatley cenotaph, Wheatley, ON., Information supplied to “Gathering our Heroes” by family member Ruth Ann (Ellerbeck) Pearce.,, Wheatley Journal.

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