Genealogy Chat

Well, looks like we're back to square one with the Lewis family!
Incidentally the farm where I stayed was called Tynnewid Farm, Talywern and I know I've probably spelled that wrong, I was just lucky with Machynlleth. It was a long time ago, 1962!

David Lewis was killed in an attack on Thiepval Ridge 26th September 1916 by the canadian division. The 14th battalion was just to the west and north of the village of Courcelette. His brother Evan was called up at the outbreak of war into the Grenadier Guards Reserve. This means that at some time previous to the war he had been a regular soldier. He had then left the army after perhaps eight years, but he could then be 'recalled to the colours' when there was a wartime emergency. When the Welsh Guards were formed as a new regiment he became one of there first men as his regimental no was 38. he then went on to win the Military medal. Two other brothers William Benjamin and Thomas Lewis also
served. Thomas Lewis was a Territorial and a shoeing Smith in the Royal Field Artillery. Possible the Cardigan Battery. Lance Corporal William also died of his wounds and is buried at Penygarn Calvinistic Methodist Cem Tirymynach.
Gct

David Lewis was killed in an attack on Thiepval Ridge 26th September 1916 by the canadian division. The 14th battalion was just to the west and north of the village of Courcelette. His brother Evan was called up at the outbreak of war into the Grenadier Guards Reserve. This means that at some time previous to the war he had been a regular soldier. He had then left the army after perhaps eight years, but he could then be 'recalled to the colours' when there was a wartime emergency. When the Welsh Guards were formed as a new regiment he became one of there first men as his regimental no was 38. he then went on to win the Military medal. Two other brothers William Benjamin and Thomas Lewis also
served. Thomas Lewis was a Territorial and a shoeing Smith in the Royal Field Artillery. Possible the Cardigan Battery. Lance Corporal William also died of his wounds and is buried at Penygarn Calvinistic Methodist Cem Tirymynach.
Gct

I imagine you looked David up on the CWGC site - if you click on the VIMY link at the end of the entry, you can read more abt this memorial.
Soldiers named on the Vimy Memorial are those with no known grave.
There are probably burials of unknown soldiers for abt half of them.

There is (a dim) photo of the plaque naming David at:
http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/sub.cfm?source=collections/virtualmem

I presume you used MadBull's URL to access the images of his attestation paper.
Instead of using the "Search" link as above, use the "Search Help" link to access the unit's War Diaries.
David was killed in an attack on the Kenora Trench.
Of particular interest are:
http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e044/e001090029.jpg
http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e044/e001090054.jpg
http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e044/e001090055.jpg
etc., thru
http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e044/e001090063.jpg

The soldiers often named landmarks with homey names, e.g., Picadilly Circus, Tyne Cot, etc. Kenora is a town in E Ontario, just 40km from the MB border. The town was originally called Rat Portage, but the locals decided renaming would favour investment in the town.

Using Choccy's info, you can look up David at:
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/passenger/001045-100.01-e.php
[image 31 of 43]
There's 2 other Lewis's on image 30. All 3 Lewis's are going to difft provinces and none are adjacent in the list. I think they're not related. David's bound for Lajerey SK. I don't recognize the place [There is a Lajord abt 30km SE of Regina] Typically, Ancestry has better images than LAC for these records - maybe someone can check my transcription.

The 14th bn was one of 4 battalions in the 3rd brigade, which in turn was one of 3 bdes in the 1st division.

To see David's action in a wider context, check out Chap 6 of:
Author: Nicholson, G.W.L
Official History of the Canadian Army in the First World War: Candian Expeditionary Force, 1914-1919

http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/oh-ho/detail-eng.asp?BfBookLang=1&BfId=22

All the Lewis brothers were first cousins to my late father. Last year the daughter of Thomas Lewis sent me a photo copy of a paper cutting from the Cambrian News about the four brothers with photos dated 1916. I had passed the Vimy memorial without stopping a few times over the years, just thinking it was a memorial to brave Canadians and not realising that there could be one of my family remembered there. I found the mention of the Kenora trench interesting as I had not come across that information. Thank you.
My Grandfather James Thomas who was Uncle to the Lewis lads also served as a Territorial with the Cardiganshire Battery before becoming a military policeman later in the war. I have found his medal card as a MP but not one for the RFA because there are so many James Thomas's listed.
Gct