LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Ralph LEWIS DFM
From Australia serving in the Royal Air Force
Service No: 540757 (RAF)
Born: Date, Location unavailable
Enlisted in the RAF: Date unavailable
Unit: No. 158 Squadron (RAF)
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM), 12 January 1943 (for operations against Turin in December 1942)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 158 Squadron Halifax II aircraft DT701), France, 7 February 1943, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Guidel Communal Cemetery, Morbihan, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Harry and Mary Lewis, of Bondi, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
On 7 February 1943, Halifax DT701 took off from Rufforth at 1901 hours to attack Lorient. The aircraft crashed at Manebos-en-Lanester (Morbihan) near Guidel, 10 km north west of Lorient and all eight crew members were killed.
The crew members of DT701 were:
Pilot Officer Peter Leslie Beesley (47763) (RAF) (Pilot)
Sergeant Kenneth Bowley (968910) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Eric Brindle (657693) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Sergeant Leonard Bygrave (933155) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Frederick George Carr (933802) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Edwin Francis Cowper (1271839) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Ralph Lewis DFM (540757) (RAF) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant George William Whiles (1249500) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
References:
Chorley, W.R. Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War Volume 4 Aircraft and Aircrew Losses 1943, Midland Counties Publications UK, 1996
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records