Pte
Stephen Lewis
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 08/01/1893 |
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Place of birth: Bristol, Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Farmer |
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Religion: Methodist |
Army information
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Country: Canada |
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Force: Canadian Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 624747 |
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Enlistment place: Stettler, Alberta, Canada |
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Units: — Canadian Infantry, 50th Bn. (Calgary) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 26/10/1917 |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 24 |
Memorial
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Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel: Panel 24 - 28 - 30. |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Stephen Lewis was born in Bristol, England, on 28 March 1894, the son of William and Mary Ann Lewis. Stephen worked as a farmer. In February 1916, Stephen enlisted in Stettler, Alberta. He returned to England on 26 February 1916. Stephen was part of the 50th Canadian Infantry Battalion. In the summer of 1917, on 5 July, Stephen was wounded and cared for at No. 4 General Hospital in Camiers, France. He was discharged a few days later.
In October 1917, the Canadians moved from France to Ypres in Flanders, where they awaited the attack on the Passchendaele ridge on 26 October. Conditions in the new positions before Passchendaele were terrible. The Canadians were packed together at the foot of the ridge, where they awaited the attack. The units were under almost constant fire. The 10th Canadian Brigade was positioned between the Ypres-Roulers railway and the Ravebeek stream. The headquarters of the 50th Battalion were at Boethoek Farm.
The attack began at 5.40 am with the 46th Battalion (South Saskatchewan Regiment), while the 50th Battalion provided support. Heine House and Hillside Farm along the Ypres-Roulers railway line were captured. The German artillery immediately retaliated. At 9.40 am, "D" Coy was sent forward to support the 46th's attack. In the afternoon, German artillery intensified and the 46th Battalion began to give way to German counterattacks, some troops retreating through the lines of the 50th. The 50th Battalion held its ground and the withdrawal of the 46th was checked. During the night, the 50th Battalion was relieved by the 47th. They went to Boethoek Farm, where the battalion headquarters was located. After some rest, groups were sent out to search for all the wounded and killed. Again, they were hampered by German artillery.
Stephen Lewis was wounded during the Passchendaele attack and while on his way to the dressing station at Tyne Cottages, he was killed by German shellfire. He was initially buried at 28.D.17.a.5.2. near the German cemetery at the hamlet of Keerselaarhoek. His remains were not recovered or identified after the war. Stephen Lewis has no known grave to date and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial.
In October 1917, the Canadians moved from France to Ypres in Flanders, where they awaited the attack on the Passchendaele ridge on 26 October. Conditions in the new positions before Passchendaele were terrible. The Canadians were packed together at the foot of the ridge, where they awaited the attack. The units were under almost constant fire. The 10th Canadian Brigade was positioned between the Ypres-Roulers railway and the Ravebeek stream. The headquarters of the 50th Battalion were at Boethoek Farm.
The attack began at 5.40 am with the 46th Battalion (South Saskatchewan Regiment), while the 50th Battalion provided support. Heine House and Hillside Farm along the Ypres-Roulers railway line were captured. The German artillery immediately retaliated. At 9.40 am, "D" Coy was sent forward to support the 46th's attack. In the afternoon, German artillery intensified and the 46th Battalion began to give way to German counterattacks, some troops retreating through the lines of the 50th. The 50th Battalion held its ground and the withdrawal of the 46th was checked. During the night, the 50th Battalion was relieved by the 47th. They went to Boethoek Farm, where the battalion headquarters was located. After some rest, groups were sent out to search for all the wounded and killed. Again, they were hampered by German artillery.
Stephen Lewis was wounded during the Passchendaele attack and while on his way to the dressing station at Tyne Cottages, he was killed by German shellfire. He was initially buried at 28.D.17.a.5.2. near the German cemetery at the hamlet of Keerselaarhoek. His remains were not recovered or identified after the war. Stephen Lewis has no known grave to date and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial.
Sources 3
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Personnel Records of the First World War (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG 150; Volume: Box 5628 - 55). https://library-archives.canada.ca/ Sources used |
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War diaries: 50th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG9-III-D-3, Volume number: 4941, Microfilm reel number: T-10747--T-10748, File number: 441). https://library-archives.canada.ca/ Sources used |
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War Graves Registers: Circumstances of Death (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG 150, 1992-93/314; Volume Number: 206). https://library-archives.canada.ca/ Sources used |
More information 4
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1593844 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=69deacbf-8dc7-4ed5-b34a-50524821024f |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/6004017 |
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The Canadian Virtual War Memorial https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/1593844 |