WALTER LEWIS
Born: 1883, Copdock, Suffolk.
Died: 3rd April 1917; age 34; He was mortally injured by enemy artillery during battle (of Arras) preparations, part of an advance party, cutting barbed wire on the front line. He died of his wounds a few days later – 44th Casualty Clearing Station.
Enlistment Location: Ipswich.
Rank: Gunner; Service Number: 35398
Regiment: Royal Field Artillery, 15th Brigade.
Medals Awarded: Victory, British War & 1914 Star.
Grave Reference:
II.N.20.
Arras,
France.
CENSUS
1891 Grove Cottages, Whitton.
Walter was 8 years old and living with his parents & siblings.
Abram Lewis, 43, a General Labourer, born Great Wenham, Suffolk.
Harriet Lewis (nee Chiverton), 42, born Great Wenham.
James Lewis, 20, a Brickmaker, born Capel, Suffolk.
Harriet Lewis, 19, born Capel.
Frederick Lewis, 14, a General Labourer, born Copdock, Suffolk.
William Lewis, 5, born Ipswich.
1901 Grove Cottages, Henley Road, Whitton.
Walter was 18 years old, a Brick Kilm Worker. He was living with his parents & brothers.
Abram, 53, a Foreman at Brickworks.
Harriet, 52.
Frederick, 24, a Brickmaker.
William, 15, a Brick Carter.
1911 The Beeches, 55, Springfield Lane, Ipswich.
Walter was 28 years old, a Brickmaker. He was married and Head of the Household.
Ethel, 25.
Constance, 10 months.
On Christmas Day, 1909, Ipswich, Walter married Ethel Kate Hewitt, September 1885, Ipswich. They had 2 children:
Constance Ethel Lewis, 1910, Ipswich.
Walter Lewis, 1911, Ipswich.
Soldiers’ Effects to Ethel K. Bond – widow.
A family note:
Unfortunately we have never seen any photo of Walter, his daughter (Connie Foster), my mother, was not a photograph keeper I regret to say.
The only pictures I can readily find are of Walter’s wife Ethel Kate Hewitt 30 years plus after Walter’s death, and it is me posing with her in my Northgate School uniform in 1950/51 at Felixstowe.
Along with my sister Cynthia Foster, we are Walter’s only grandchildren,
The other photo is Cynthia and me c. 1938/39 with our mother Connie.
Finally I must say thank you for your wonderful work on this memorial project, so fitting a tribute to all our heroes, and I am also happy that my home town – Ipswich – is linked with Arras, a lovely little French town where so many lay down their lives for us to remain free.
Extra information courtesy of Colin Foster.
Royal Field Artillery, 15th Brigade:
2 Comments
Walter was my mother’s father, my grandfather. My daughter Patricia Foster and I visited his grave in the immaculate Fauberg D’Amiens War Cemetery in Arras in 2006.
We are immensely proud of his bravery and sacrifice. We understand he was mortally injured by enemy artillery during battle (of Arras) preparations, part of an advance party, cutting barbed wire on the front line. He died of his wounds a few days later.
He married on Christmas Day 1909, and had only one surviving child, my mother Constance Ethel Lewis (1910-2002), who was only 7 at the time when he was killed. His wife Ethel Kate Hewitt re-married after the War (1886-1968)