Name
Osmund Henry George Lewis
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
16/06/1915
40
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
2205
Honourable Artillery Company
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 9.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
St Edmunds College Memorial, Old Hall Green,
Not on the Ware memorials
Pre War
Born in 1875 in Ealing, Middlesex son of Henry James and Alice Lewis later of 40 Great Tower Street, London and was later living in Chelsing Farm, Ware.
Wartime Service
Enlisted at Armoury House on 8 Sep 1914, entered France on 29 Dec 1914 and was killed in action near Ypres.
The following text was transcribed from the The Edmundian (1814-1819) – The contemporary magazine of St Edmund’s College:
Osmund Lewis, who fell in the ranks of H.A.C. during the latter part. of June, was born on 28th March. 1875, and was educated at Baylis House, Slough, St. Edmund's and Ratcliffe. He came here in the autumn of 1886 and stayed till 1888. On leaving school he went on the Stock Exchange, but after some time his health broke down, and when lie was about 30 years of age, acting under medical advice he went into the country and took up farming. As he was always keen on athletics and sport this change of life suited him in every way. He had been a member of the Honourable Artillery Company for seventeen or eighteen years and was an excellent shot, winning several prizes at Bisley in recent years, including the Daily Graphic prize for 200 yards and the Conan Doyle prize for 200. 500 and 600 yards in 1914. In the same year he was elected captain of the Service Rifle Club at Hatfield and won the Hatfield Challenge Shield for disappearing man.
When the war broke out he rejoined the H.A.C. and in December, when 120 volunteers were called for to go out with the remainder of the 1st battalion to bring the draft up to 400, so as to reinforce the 1st battalion already at the Front he put his name down and was selected.
He crossed from Southampton to Havre on December 29th. From there the draft moved to the Rouen base, and so on to the firing line. His letters, like so many we have received, bore witness to time consolation which his faith afforded him. In one he wrote "Before I forget it, would you kindly send me out a small prayer book, the smallest you can get. It is very nice being able to get to Mass at times. Last Sunday I went to Holy Communion. Up to the time of writing no particulars of his death had been received, only the bare official notification. Mass was offered in the College chapel for his soul, after the sad intelligence had been received. We offer our deep sympathies to his family and especially to his nephew at present a student at St. Edmund's.
Acknowledgments
Malcolm Lennox, Jonty Wild, Di Vanderson, The Edmundian (1814-1819) – The contemporary magazine of St Edmund’s College
