53 Queen Street

Lloyd Reginald Graham

Lloyd Graham

Reginald Graham and Elizabeth Stevens raised a family of five boys and three girls in their home at 53 Queen Street in Paris. Reg was lured to Paris by Wincey Mill in 1897 to play hockey for the company team. Before professional hockey leagues, industrial hockey was a very popular sport. Four of five Graham brothers served in the Canadian military during the Second World War. The fifth was too young to serve.

Lloyd Reginald Graham, the third Graham son to serve in WW2. He worked at the Wincey Mill with his father until he enlisted at 21 years of age. He enlisted with the 1st Canadian Airborne Battalion. He was the only paratrooper from Paris to serve in the Second World War. During his basic training, he was awarded 1st place in sniper rifle training.

Lloyd was part of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion’s last major airborne operation near the end of World War II in Germany, called Operation Varsity. On March 24, 1945, the battalion parachuted into a wooded area north of the Rhine River to support the Allied crossing. This large-scale airborne assault aimed to seize key terrain and prevent German reinforcements from reaching the crossing point. The battalion suffered significant casualties in the heavy fighting that followed.  The operation marked a decisive push by the Allies into Germany and helped secure the Rhine River bridgehead, paving the way for the final advance into the heart of Germany. The operation showcased the battalion’s bravery and resilience in the face of fierce fighting, highlighting the importance of their training and initiative.

Canadian airborne troops later advanced to meet Russian Soviet troops in the German port city of Wismar on the Baltic coast in May, 1945, as the war in Europe was ending. The 1st Battalion was tasked with reaching Wismar before the Soviets to prevent them from occupying Denmark. They were successful, though later diplomacy ceded Wismar to the Soviet controlled zone in Germany.

Following victory in Europe, the entire Battalion was stationed in Niagara/St. Catherine’s for further training in anticipation of being deployed to Japan. But when the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, the war came to an end, and the entire Battalion was disbanded.

After the war ended, Lloyd worked at that Canadian House Restaurant in Paris as a bartender/bouncer. He was living at the time at 10 Elgin Street with his wife, Marguerite Clarkson. He saved his tip money and a year later they purchased 13 Victoria Street in Paris, which would be the family home for more than 50 years. And years after Lloyd worked as a bouncer at the Canadian House, his son Reg bought that property, and Lloyd’s grandson Kent was the manager. A fitting conclusion to Lloyd’s military career.

Graham Brothers: