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Remembered Today:

Pte Hugh R Lewis Lancashire Fusiliers


Hywyn

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Posted as possibly of interest to someones research.

Extracts (translated) from The Herald Gymraeg, Carnarvonshire relating to the village of Ebenezer ( now called Deiniolen)

21st September 1915

News received from Mrs Anne Lewis, Mark Street, Everton, and Liverpool that her husband Pte Hugh R Lewis had been killed in the Dardanelle on the 21st August with the Lancashire Fusiliers. Originally from Bangor he was married to Anne who was from this area being the youngest daughter of the late Mr John Griffith, Tan y Ffordd and Mrs Ellen Griffith, Green Terrace. Hugh was 32 years old. He joined up as soon as war broke out and was gassed in France after which he was hospitalised in Manchester and Colwyn Bay for 10 weeks. Then he went to the Dardanelle.

2nd Nov 1915

Sadness to Happiness

The War Office recently notified that Pte Hugh R Lewis, husband of Mrs Anne Lewis, 45 Mark Street, Liverpool had been killed in action in the Dardanelle. However, in the last few days she has received news that this is not so. She has also had two letters from her husband who is now seriously ill in a Cairo Hospital.

Looks like Hugh survived the War

Only one Hugh R Lewis on MIC as follows

Medal card of Lewis, Hugh R

Corps Regiment No Rank

Lancashire Fusiliers 5424 Private

Labour Corps 585195 Private

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  • 15 years later...

Good evening,

 

I am very pleased to have found your posting about Hugh Richard Lewis from 2006.

Some years ago his Victory Medal was purchased by my late father - long before the days of Ancestry, Find My Past and the National Archives having military documents on line. I have just got around to starting some research on Lewis and your posting is both interesting and helpful. Records on Ancestry show that Lewis was awarded the 1914-15 Star, BWM & Victory plus the Silver War Badge. I regret that the Victory Medal was the only award offered for sale at the time and I do not know the whereabouts of the others. It is a little battered around the edge but his name and number is readable.

I am currently looking into his family and it seems he was married in 1910 and appears on the 1911 Census. I hope to be able to find out more about his military career but it seems his service record and pension records may not have survived.

 

Regards

David

 

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HI David,

I'll draw @Hywyn's attention to this.

Maybe he has discovered more in rhe last 15 years.

He received Silver War Badge no. 411467 on 18th June 1918, listed as being W.C.L.C. ex L.F. (I assume Western Command Labour Corps, ex Lancashire Fusiliers?)

 

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The Western Front Pension Ledgers confirm that the man in the newspaper articles is the man with the military details at the end of my post (wasn't confirmed at the time I posted, it was only best possible)

 

They provide the address as 45 Mark Street, Liverpool.

 

They show that a widows pension was paid from around 1930 

 

They also provide his units/numbers as 6481 RWF, 5425 Lancashire Fusiliers and 5851915 Labour Corps.

 

With regards to the RWF number I make the number in the Regular series as allocated Aug/Sept 1900. You'll see on FMP that 6481 Lewis has a couple of mentions one being that he was amongst recruits joining the battalion with effect from 8th Jan 1901 (you'll have to page back in the images to determine the battalion. His RWF service was long over (including Resrves) when he enlisted in Lanc Fusiliers 11 8 1914 (SWB Roll info)

 

No Labour, No Battle (Starling & Lee) provides that the Labour Corps number was allocated May to Sept 1918 in Salonika.

 

Here's the article referring to his death, English language newspaper. (Penultimate set of photos)

FMP link    https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0002967%2f19150924%2f117&stringtohighlight=hugh lewis

Better quality photo possibly in the Welsh language newspaper (5th set down)

https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3460245/3460251

 

 

His brother in law (wife's brother) John Griffiths RWF 265988 was killed accidentally by a 'bomb' with 1st RWF on 13 11 1918. Anne Lewis, 45 Mark Street, Liverpool is on his 'family form' as his sister.

FMP link     https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=gbm%2fwo363-4%2f007385107%2f00339&parentid=gbm%2fwo363-4%2f7385107%2f14%2f327

 

He has a number of Family Tree entries on Ancestry. (Some are quite confusing where they are clearly him but with some entries shown a Bangor, Maine. Possibly inputted by an American where the 'place' field has defaulted to Bangor, Maine?)

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Dear Dai Bach y Sowldiwr & Hywyn,

 

Thank you both very much for your help with my enquiry about Hugh Lewis. I am very pleased with the information and especially the opportunity to see a photograph of the soldier whose Victory Medal I have. It is great to have so much information about the soldier who won the medal I inherited from my father.

 

I am most appreciative of your time in helping me

 

Kind Regards

David

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