LEST WE FORGET

Flight Lieutenant Andrew Cresswell LEWIS

Service No: 282675
Born: Crib Point VIC, 18 May 1913
Enlisted in the RAAF: 2 June 1941 (at Adelaide SA)
Unit: Detachment Commander, No. 1 Squadron, Java
Died: Ground Operations, Java, 28 February 1942, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Andrew and Rebecca Elizabeth Lewis; husband of Ena Estelle Lewis, of Footscray, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Wallaroo SA
Remembered: Column 421, Singapore Memorial, Singapore
Remembered: Panel 97, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide

On the 1 March 1942, Flight Lieutenant Lewis, the Commanding Officer of the No. 1 Squadron Detachment, was travelling in a staff car with Aircraftman Class 1 Forby, a Radio Mechanic. Forby was selected for this duty because of his ability to operate a Bren gun which was mounted in the car. The convoy was attacked by the Japanese at about 0100 hours on 1 March 1942 near Tjilegon which is between Anjer and Serang, West Java. The only RAAF survivor was Aircraftman Class 1 Charles Dudley Potts (39872) (No. 8 Squadron) who later died as a Prisoner of War.

RAAF members lost at this time were:

Aircraftman Class 1 John Lundy Carter (43236)
Aircraftman Class 1 John Brynmor Evans (27026)
Aircraftman Class 1 Jack Forby (39764)
Flight Lieutenant Andrew Creswell Lewis (282675)
Aircraftman Class 1 Charles Dudley Potts (39872) PoW, Died: 24 June 1944

References:

Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/42/112

Bibliography:

Hall, E.R. (Eldred Rayner) (O3341) Glory in Chaos, Sembawang Association West Coburg VIC, 1989

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