Lewis, Frank Edward

Personal Information

Rank F/O
Forename(s) Frank Edward
Surname Lewis
Gender M
Age 21
Decorations DFC
Date of Death 04-09-1943
Next of Kin Son of Frank Acton Lewis and Emma Martha Lewis (née Roberts) of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Husband of Beatrice Elizabeth Lewis (née Goslin), whom he married on 21 February 1942 at St James, Manitoba. Father of Gordon Alan Edward, born 1 October 1942.
LEWIS FE

Aircraft Information

Aircraft Avro Lancaster III
Serial Number JA854
Markings MG-X

Memorial Information

Burial/Memorial Country United Kingdom
Burial/Memorial Place Runnymede Memorial
Grave Reference Panel 174.
Epitaph

IBCC Memorial Information

Phase 2
Panel Number 198

Enlistment Information

Service Number J/10317
Service Royal Canadian Air Force
Group 8
Squadron 7
Squadron Motto Per diem per noctem (By day and by night)
Trade Navigator
Country of Origin Canada

Other Memorials

Location Hilton House Hotel, Hilton, Derbyshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Blue Plaque on external wall
Memorial Text Air Commodore Herbert Martin Massey CBE DSO MC 1898-1976 Senior British Officer at Stalag Luft III Sagan who authorised 'The Great Escape' was born here. Hilton and Marston History Group
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Location All Saints Church, Longstanton, Cambridgeshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Stained Glass Window and Roll of Honour Book
Memorial Text Remember here before God those of 7 Squadron who died in action in The Royal Flying Corps 1914-18 and The Royal Air Force 1939-45
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Miscellaneous Information

Frank was born at Toronto , Ontario on 6 January 1922. Both parents were born in Toronto and his father, deceased, had worked as a jeweller and also an organist. He had a brother John and a sister Margaret. The schools he attended were all in Toronto: Runnymede Public 1927-1933, Fern Avenue Public 1934-1935, Parkdale Collegiate Institute 1936-1939 (Matric) and then Western Commerce High School, 1939-1940. His sport interests were basketball, baseball, rugby and hockey and he liked making model aircraft. Frank was a stenographer and also a Customs clerk at the United Steel Company during 1940 until enlisting on 9 December 1940.
The records show that after being posted to the U.K. where he arrived at 3PRC on 29 March 1942 he was then at 10(0) AFU on 19 May 1942 and 22 OTU on 10 June 1942. During an operation to Munich on 21-22 December 1942 his aircraft (Mk. I Stirling R9262 MG-A) was shot down by an Me110. Three of the crew were killed and one taken PoW but three, including Frank Lewis, evaded capture. The others were Sgt. T.I. Boddy and Sgt. H.L. McBeath RCAF. He was captured and interned at Miranda Camp, Spain but managed to escape, arriving in Gibraltar on 25 March 1943, then arrived back at Portreath on 9 April. He was then transferred back to 7 Sqn. via Uxbridge 7 May 1943 and lost his life on 4 September 1943. TNA file WO 208/3312/1130 refers to his evasion.
Medal Citation (London Gazette 4 June 1943): Distinguished Flying Cross. Flying Officer Frank Edward LEWIS (Can/J 10317). Royal Canadian Air Force, No. 7 Squadron. Distinguished Flying Medal. 544755 Sergeant Thomas Ingham BODDY, No. 7 Squadron. In air operations, these members of aircraft crew have displayed exemplary conduct and gallantry worthy of the highest praise.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

The National Archives

Fellow Servicemen

Please note that this list gives all the losses aboard the quoted aircraft and occasionally these may have occurred on an earlier date when the aircraft was not itself lost. Please check the dates of death carefully.

Last Operation Information

Start Date 03-09-1943
End Date 04-09-1943
Takeoff Station Oakington
Day/Night Raid Night (16% moon)
Operation Berlin. 316 Lancasters and 4 Mosquitoes. (Lancasters were the only heavy bombers used due to the very high losses of both Halifaxes and Stirlings during recent Berlin raids. 22 Lancasters Lost (7.0%). Mosquitoes dropped spoof flares to divert German night-fighters. Given the very high loss rates, it is doubtful that this technique worked. Actual target marking was short of the target and most bombs fell in residential areas, although both a water and electricity facility were put out of action and 422 people were killed. Amongst the dead were 7 criminals earning remission by defusing unexploded bombs.
Reason for Loss Lost over the target area
 
 
 
 

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Casualty Pack

IBCC is delighted to introduce a unique facility to link the Losses Database to the relevant RAF Casualty Pack on the National Archives website. This project is the result of on-going collaboration between IBCC, the MOD Records Office and National Archives, Kew. This document describes what Casualty Packs are, when they were created, the process of making them available to the public and then goes on to describe the process by which you can view the contents of the packs. Casualty Packs (CPs) were created by the RAF whenever there was serious injury or loss of life associated with operational activity within the RAF. This includes operational flying losses, enemy action due to air raids, road accidents either on station or even off-station if they involved RAF vehicles. Deaths due to natural causes in service or accidents that did not involve RAF vehicles did not generally give rise to a CP.

CPs were originally given a unique reference number by the RAF. Each begins with the letter ‘P’ and is followed by six digits, then an oblique (forward slash) and the finally the year in which the incident took place- for example P396154/42.

The CPs are in the process of being made available to the general public as they are passed from the MOD Records Office, Portsmouth to National Archives, Kew. This process requires some rework to the files which is very time consuming, so the process of making them all available to National Archives will take several years. They are being made available in increasing date order.

Once CPs arrive at National Archives they are assigned a unique AIR81 number, so each CP has both a P-number and an AIR81 number. Both are searchable on the National Archives website under ‘Search the catalogue’ and both are included on the IBCC website.

The AIR81 reference on the IBCC website is a link to the file on the National Archives website. When you click on it, the relevant page will open in a new tab on your browser.

There is currently no plan to digitise AIR81 files, partly because they are fragile and partly because the information they contain can at times be sensitive, even harrowing, since they may contain exhumation reports and even photographs of corpses. Family members wishing to read the AIR81 files relating to their ancestors are advised to exercise caution and be guided by National Archives warnings where appropriate.

There are two means for accessing AIR81 files- to attend in person or to order a copy by post.

To attend in person, the attendee should first create a Reader’s Ticket. This can be done online by following this link: https://secure.nationalarchives.gov.uk/login/yourdetails. Then click on the AIR81 reference on the IBCC website and click Order in Advance. Enter your Reader’s Ticket number and state the date on which you intend to visit. National Archives will have the file ready for you when you arrive, saving you time. When you visit Kew, you must quote the Reader’s Ticket number and take along two forms of ID- one bearing your signature and one bearing your address. When you view the files, you are permitted to take photographs of each page, should you wish.

Alternatively, if you wish to order a copy by post, please be aware that there is a charge for this service based on the number of pages in the file. Click on the AIR81 reference on the IBCC website and then click Request a Copy. There is an £8.40 charge for National Archives staff to access the file and give you a quotation for the copying service. The process takes around 24 days to complete and can be expensive.

IBCC wishes to thank the staff at the MOD Records Office and National Archives for their engagement and assistance in making this facility available to our website users.