I'm doing a bit of research on the husband of my grand aunt. His name was Cyril J. Lewis from Treorchy. He ser?

Question

I'm doing a bit of research on the husband of my grand aunt. His name was Cyril J. Lewis from Treorchy. He served on HMS Isis and died on July 20 1944 when the ship was sunk. I have this line of information about Cyril taken off a website, as follows: LEWIS, Cyril J, Stoker Petty Officer, D/KX 77524, Isis,20 July, 1944, DOW. I know that DOW means died of wounds, but what i would like to know is, what would have a stoker petty officer do on the Isis and what does the number D/KX 77524 mean? Also any info on Cyril would be very welcome and the location (maps charts etc) of the wreck location would be very much apprieciated. Many regards

Answer 1

This looks like him in 1911 census.



Name Relation Condition/

Yrs married Sex Age Birth

Year Occupation Where Born Original

census

image



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LEWIS, John Head Married M 36 1875 Colliery Hitcher Below Ground Pendine Carmarthenshire

LEWIS, Emily Ellenor Wife Married

10 years F 44 1867 Stoke Devonport

LEWIS, Irene Olivia Daughter F 8 1903 Treorky Glamorgan

LEWIS, Constance Mary Daughter F 6 1905 Treorky Glamorgan

LEWIS, Cyril John Son M 4 1907 Treorky Glamorgan

LEWIS, John Stanley Son M 1 1910 Treorky Glamorgan



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RG number:

RG14 Piece:

32345 Reference:

RG14PN32345 RG78PN1853A RD589 SD4 ED17 SN159



Registration District:

Pontypridd Sub District:

Rhondda Enumeration District:

17 Parish:

Rhondda



Address:

72 Tallis Street County:

Glamorganshire

Answer 2

The Royal Navy History Museum in Portsmouth Docks may be able to help.

Try googling them for contact details. I've found them to be very helpful.

Answer 3

Try contacting the Roy Noble show on BBC radio Wales. They often help with things like that and are likely to be heard by people who knew him or the family.

Answer 4

Some further information which may interest you

http://www.uboat.net/forums/read.php?22,66295,66297

HMS ISIS Fleet Destroyer. Sunk at night while anchored in the English Channel off Normandy on 20th July 1944 by a mine during operation Neptune (Naval Operations in support of Operation Overload). Casualties were heavy -154 men killed. The wreck is located 49-27N 00-41W seven miles north of Arromanches in northern France. Sinking was caused either by a German mine or possibly a 'Neger' human torpedo. At least one crew member is buried at Arromanches.The ship was on anti-submarine patrol off the Western Sector (Normandy Invasion).



LEWIS, CYRIL JOHN

Initials: C J

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Petty Officer Stoker ( or mechanic)

Regiment/Service: Royal Navy

Unit Text: H.M.S. Isis.

Age: 38

Date of Death: 20/07/1944

Service No: D/KX 77524

Additional information: Son of John and Nell Lewis; husband of Helena Theresa Lewis, of Slough, Buckinghamshire.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: III. F. 5.

Cemetery: BAYEUX WAR CEMETERY

Country: France

Locality: Calvados

Visiting Information: Parking directly outside the cemetery is limited. When approaching the cemetery with the nearby D-Day Museum on your right, take the last exit at the roundabout just before the cemetery into 'Chemin des Marettes', where space is usually available to park.

Location Information: The town of Bayeux, in Normandy, lies 24 kilometres north-west of Caen. Bayeux War Cemetery is situated in the south-western outskirts of the town on the by-pass (D5), which is named Boulevard Fabian Ware. On the opposite side of the road stands the Bayeux Memorial.

Historical Information: The Allied offensive in north-western Europe began with the Normandy landings of 6 June 1944. There was little actual fighting in Bayeux although it was the first French town of importance to be liberated. Bayeux War Cemetery is the largest Commonwealth cemetery of the Second World War in France and contains burials brought in from the surrounding districts and from hospitals that were located nearby. BAYEUX WAR CEMETERY contains 4,144 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 338 of them unidentified. There are also over 500 war graves of other nationalities, the majority German. The BAYEUX MEMORIAL stands opposite the cemetery and bears the names of more than 1,800 men of the Commonwealth land forces who died in the early stages of the campaign and have no known grave. They died during the landings in Normandy, during the intense fighting in Normandy itself, and during the advance to the River Seine in August.

No. of Identified Casualties: 4265



...............and for his certificate of honour

http://www.cwgc.org/search/certificate.aspx?casualty=2327984