Family :

Education & Career :

He went to Hadham Road Non-Conformist Grammar School, Bishops Stortford Hertfordshire and then Bishops Stortford College in School House.

He became a railway engineer, first as an Assistant Engineer on the Dore and Chinley Railway and on sections of the Great Central Railway, he joined the staff of the South India Railway in 1893, serving in various capacities until 1905, when he became Chief Engineer of the line.

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

The Gallipoli Campaign was fought on the Gallipoli peninsula 25th April 1915 to 9th January 1916. in a failed attempt to defeat Turkey by seizing the Dardanelles and capturing Istanbul. Ill-conceived and planned, the initial effort by the Royal Navy failed to force passage through the Dardanelles by sea power alone. It was then realised that a land force was needed to support the project by suppressing the Turkish mobile artillery batteries. By the time all was ready the Turks were well aware and well prepared. Despite amazing heroics on the day of the landings only minor beachheads were achieved and over the succeeding 8 months little progress was made. Eventually the beachheads were evacuated in a series of successful ruses.

Despite Gallipoli rightly becoming a national source of pride to Australians and New Zealanders, far more British casualties were sustained, and these days the substantial French contribution is almost forgotten.

Detail :

Captain John Thorpe Lewis John Thorpe Lewis (Jack to his family) was the son of James Winterbotham Lewis, of Nottingham (James was the Chief Engineer to the South Indian Railway, and a Major in their Volunteers). Jack was a Captain in the 6th Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment. His brother, Frederick W was a doctor with the Royal Army Medical Corps. By chance they found themselves serving in the same theatre of war during the summer of 1915, in Turkey. Fred's grandson has uncovered some letters that his grandfather wrote during this time, one of which describes his own brother's death. The letter also provides an eyewitness account of the sad fate that befell many soldiers of the Lincolnshire Regiment at Scimitar Hill and Chocolate Hill that year. Text of Fred's letter is reproduced here by kind permission of Mr R H R Cox of King's Lynn, the grandson of Captain Frederick W Lewis. Alexandria Sept, 25. 1915 Dear Laurie, Many thanks for your letter. 1m sorry to say I can only confirm what you write me about the end of dear old Jack, untill today I was hoping he might hare been picked up by the Turks, but now I know it is impossible. I met Major Elkington today, and can give you all details known. After landing they had more or less constant fighting. Jack and his company did splendidly, and Elkington describes him as having been absolutely fearless, he was always in the best of spirits, and this seemed to have the best possible effect on his men. On the 8th, after Darcy Frazer had been killed, Jack took his place, and in a most strenuous fight they took Chocolate Hill. After it was over Elkington saw Jack sitting down by a wouaded Turk giving him a drink from his water-bottle and having a talk with him. Very early next morning an attack was ordered on a hill covered with scrub, and it was during the charge up this hill that Jack was wounded. They were allowed to get some way up when Machine guns opened on them, and when Elkington came up to Jack he was sitting down with his finger on the main artery of a man who was bleeding to death, almost immediately a bullet came along, went through a man's foot, struck the rock and rebounded into the poor fellow's abdomen: he quietly said My God and fell back. He immediately felt in his pocket for some morphia, and Elklngton helped him to take it. He then put his head quite close to his and said John, do you wish to say anything?, but he tells me that he could get no reply and that his face had already taken on the grey look which immediately preceeds death, so he was left there lying with the man he had tried to save. Was there ever anything more pathetic? Elkington had to go on, And was almost immediately wounded In the leg. Within half an hour of this, the whole side of the hill caught fire; there was a good deal of wind, and it burnt furiously. Elkington thinks that some 300 of the wounded Lincolns died in this fire, but he is perfectly satisfied that Jack was quite beyond the reach of any pain and anguish from the flames, they simply burnt his dead body. The hill is still in the possession of the Turks. I cannot think of a more glorious ending to any man's life; he had fought splendidly, and was finally taken doing all he could to save the life of one of his men. I can almost smile through my tears, I feel so proud of him. Would you mind sending this round to the members of the family, I have not the time to write to them all. The 6th Lincolns with 200 reserves totalled 1200, at the roll call sow 240 answer to their names. I have been called back to Alexandria, and am to start in a few days again for Gallipoli. A new casualty Clearing station has been formed, and I am the only member of the original one who is going. I have specially asked to go, and strangely enough we are to land where Jack did - Anafarta Bay. I hope the Germans will keep the Submarines away this time. Fred. Relentless shelling caused Chocolate Hill to catch fire. As the Hill was engulfed by flame, Captain John Thorpe Lewis has no known grave. Hundreds of the British soldiers who lie in war cemetaries in this area of Turkey, were buried unidentified. In Green Hill Cemetery alone, 2,472 of the 2,971 men buried there are unidentified. For this reason, John Thorpe Lewis is one of the 21,000+ servicemen commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Cape Helles Peninsula, Turkey. Jack was 46 years old when he was killed.

Probate LEWIS John Thorpe of Trichinopoly Southern India captain 6th Lincolnshire regiment died 9 August 1915 at the Dardenelles Probate London 27 September to Frederick Wililam Lewis M.R.C.S. Effects £13382 4s. 9d. Former Grant P.R. March 1916.

Masonic :

Listed as a 27 year old C.E. (Chief Engineer?) and resident at Madura at time of initiation in 1894. The contribution record shows he was "Killed in Action Aug 1915."

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley