FTO Warren Bretall Mayes was born in Oak Park, Illinois, on March 24, 1921, to Arthur Mayes and Vera Bretall-Mayes, and had a sister and two brothers. His family resided at 1438 South Eleventh Avenue in Maywood, Illinois. He graduated from Garfield School and from Proviso Township High School in 1939. During his time in high school he had 20 hours of aviation training. He worked at the Warwick Company, Chicago, from September 1939 to December 1939 when he was left go. He then worked for Tropic-Aire, Chicago from June 1940 to September 1940, and left to join the Royal Canadian Air Force.
He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force on October 9, 1940, and named his aunt, Erna Bretall, as his next-of-kin. His serial number was J/14770. He trained at Canadian Forces Base, Winnipeg, Manitoba, and at No. 4 Bombing and Gunnery School, Fingal, Ontario. At Fingal, he qualified as a navigator and commissioned a Flying Officer. He was assigned to 419th Bomber Squadron, No. 3 Group Bomber Command, and assigned to the Royal Air Force Lemming, North Yorkshire, England, and only with the unit for two and a half weeks.
During his first mission with the 419th the plane he was navigator on was shot up by German flak but landed safely. On June 29, 1943, he took part in his second mission with the 419th. His plane was shot down over Waalre, Netherlands. Warren and three other members of his crew died when the plane was hit by enemy. It is possible that that they had bailed out of the plane and their parachutes failed to open or they died in the crash. It is known Warren and three of the other members of his crew were buried in Eindhoven (Wonsel) Cemetery, Plot RE, Graves 35 and 74.
His father received a telegram from the Air Ministry, Ottawa, Canada, on July 1, 1943, telling him that Warren was missing in action. His father received a letter from Warren’s wing commander, dated July 5, 1943, telling him that Warren’s plane was missing and that noting is known about the the plane or crew since the mission. A confirmation letter from the Canadian Air Ministry, dated July 14, 1943, was sent to his father stating that Warren was classified as missing in action since his plane had failed to return from a mission against the Germans. It also stated that the International Red Cross had been contacted and any additional news would be forwarded to him.
After the war, a recovery team was sent to the area and when workers were removing the wreckage, remains of another crewman were found in the wreckage. In addition, it was believed remains of another crew man were found in a ditch near the place where the plane went down. Warren and the men buried in the Eidndhovan Cemetery and exhumed. The men were casketed and moved to the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, Nijmegen, Netherland, where F/O Warren B. Mayes was buried in Plot 15, Row F, Grave: 2.
On August 14, 1946, his father received another letter from the Canadian Air Ministry, Ottawa, Canada.
Mr. A. H. Mayes,
1438 South 11th Avenue
Maywood, Illinois, U.S.A.
Dear Mr. Mayes:
Advice has now been received from our Overseas Headquarters which states that your son, Flying Officer Warren Bretall Mayes, has now been- re-interred in Grave No. 2, Row F, Plot 15 in the Canadian Permanent Cemetery, at Nijmegen, Holland.
The reverent care of the burial places of all who served in the Forces of the British Empire is the task of the Imperial War Graves Commission. Eminent architects are planning the construction of beautiful cemeteries and each individual grave will be supported and sustained by the nations of the Empire. I hope that it may be of some consolation to you to know that the grave of your gallant son is n sacred care and keeping.
May I again offer you my deepest sympathy. I can hope in the days to come you may see the fulfillment of those ideals for which your son laid down his life..
Yours sincerely,
AHG (signed)
R.C.A.F. Casualty Officer,
for Chief of the Air Staff.
