LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Donald Edwin LEWIS
Service No: 400148
Born: Hobart TAS, 1 February 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 23 June 1940 (at Melbourne VIC)
Unit: No. 452 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No. 452 Squadron Spitfire aircraft AB992), English Channel, 21 January 1942, Aged 19 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Keith Bannatyne Lewis and Doris Lewis, of Omeo, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Malvern VIC
Remembered: Panel 110, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 105, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
During a sortie escorting Mine Sweepers on the 21 January 1942, Spitfire AB992 flown by Flying Officer Lewis baled out at the sea 35 miles north north east of Muston. The aircraft was seen to land in the sea and Flying Officer Lewis was also initially seen in the sea with his parachute, but searches by aircraft and rescue launches could not subsequently locate him or his aircraft.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/42/83