Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Captain A. M. Lewis, Devonshire Regiment, later 52nd Sikhs, who was three times wounded in action and was Mentioned in Despatches for his gallantry on the First Day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916, on which date he was also wounded; he was subsequently killed in action at the Mazurka Gorge in Kurdistan on 8 August 1919

1914-15 Star (2. Lieut. A. M. Lewis. Devon. R.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Lieut. A. M. Lewis.) extremely fine (3) £600-£800

Dix Noonan Webb, June 2002.

M.I.D. London Gazette 4 January 1917:
‘For gallantry on 1 July 1916.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 5 June 1919:
‘For distinguished and gallant services ands devotion to duty (Mesopotamia).’

Arthur Milton Lewis was born on 14 March 1894, and was educated at King William’s College, Isle of Man, and Corpus Christi, Cambridge, where he served in the O.T.C. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the 9th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment on 7 December 1914, with whom he served in France, being wounded on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Details of a letter written by Lewis, and recorded in his school magazine, The Barrovian, state:
‘Lieut. A. M. Lewis of the Devons, writes: “My luck still follows me. I was in the casualty list for the third time today, with another soft wound. A Boche machine-gunner legged me in front of Mametz wood on the morning of July 1st. We were one of the first divisions to go over the top, and I feel no small pride that G.H.Q. sent a special aide-de-camp to congratulate our brigade after the attack.” He was in the same attack that his brother, Lieut. J. W. Lewis, was killed.’

Promoted to Lieutenant on 7 September 1916, Lewis was selected as a probationer for the Indian Army on 23 March 1917 and attached to the 52nd Sikhs, attaining the rank of Captain in July 1919. He was killed in action in Mazurkha Gorge, Kurdistan on 8 August 1919, when his column was attacked by a large band of Kurds under the leadership of Rashid Beg. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Basra Memorial, Iraq. (Additionally entitled to G.S.M., clasp, Kurdistan). His obituary notice, as published in The Barrovian, states:
‘His name appeared three times in the casualty list while serving in France. He was twice mentioned in Despatches, firstly by Sir Douglas Haig in the first Despatch of the Battle of the Somme, and secondly by General Marshall, after the surrender of the Turks, for services rendered as advanced guard commander in the advance from Samara to Mosul.’

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