LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Vivian LEWIS
Service No: 407104
Born: Waikerie SA, 24 October 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 27 May 1940
Unit: No. 201 Squadron (RAF), RAF Lough Erne (Castle Archdale), County Fermanagh
Died: Air Operations (No. 201 Squadron Sunderland aircraft W2025), Atlantic Ocean, 31 July 1942, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John William and Jessie Lewis, of Waikerie, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Waikerie SA
Remembered: Panel 112, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Sunderland W2025 of No. 201 Squadron was engaged on convoy escort duty in the North Atlantic on 31 July 1942, when it was shot down by a ship of the convoy in position 55.23N 014.13W. At the time the weather and visibility were bad.
The crew members of W2025 were:
Pilot Officer John Allen (109109) (RAFVR)
Sergeant William Bluck (568792) (RAF)
Flight Sergeant James Andrew Collins (626612) (RAF)
Sergeant Clifford Gurney Fort (407101) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant John Robert Goodings (901208) (RAF)
Sergeant Vivian Lewis (407104) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant Harry Scrace (1245077) (RAF)
Flight Sergeant Maurice John Tomley (924204) (RAFVR)
Flight Lieutenant James Robert Traill (64942) (RAF)
Flight Lieutenant Walter Harry Wakefield (43126) (RAF) (Pilot)
Sergeant P S Wheatley (139066) (RAFVR) Rescued
Sergeant Norman Williams (1294368) (RAFVR)
The bodies of Flight Sergeant Tomley, Flight Sergeant Collins and Sergeant Williams were recovered by a naval vessel and buried at sea. Sergeant Wheatley survived the crash and was rescued. The remaining members could not be found and they were recorded as having lost their lives at sea.
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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/137/71