LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Cyril Richard Neil LEWIS
Service No: 3889
Born: 30 April 1912, Location unavailable
Enlisted in the RAAF: Date unavailable
Unit: No. 2 Wireless Air Gunners School, Parkes NSW
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 2 Wireless Air Gunners School Douglas DC2 aircraft A30-7), near Parkes, 20 June 1942, Aged 30 Years
Buried: Hobart (Cornelian Bay) Public Cemetery TAS
CWGC Additional Information: Son of David Cyril and Marion Frances Lewis, of Cambridge
Roll of Honour: Bellerive TAS
Remembered: Panel 116, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
During a series of take-off and landing exercises on 15 June 1942, Douglas DC2 A30-7 crashed at 1015 hours from approximately 200 feet one quarter of a mile from the northern boundary of the aerodrome at Parkes. Four of those on board lost their lives and others were injured.
On board A30-7 were:
Sergeant William Charles Arthur (61516) (Pilot, Supernumerary)
Flight Lieutenant Norman Charles Philip Blight (366) (Second Pilot)
Flying Officer Harold Robert Irving Cox (Supernumerary) (689) Fatally injured: Died 16 June 1942
Aircraftman Class I Martin Gilday (63372) (Supernumerary) Injured, Discharged from the RAAF: 15 April 1946
Corporal Norman Henry Harris (37296) (Supernumerary) Injured, Discharged from the RAAF: 11 April 1945
Pilot Officer Cyril Richard Neil Lewis (3889) (First Pilot) Fatally Injured, Died: 20 June 1942
Aircraftman Edwin Robert McPhee (18885) (Supernumerary) Injured, Discharged from the RAAF: 22 November 1945
Leading Aircraftman John Joseph O’Donnell (42276) (Supernumerary) Injured, Discharged from the RAAF: 30 November 1945
Corporal Lionel Bruce Sharpe (4776) (A31365) (Supernumerary) Injured, Discharged from the RAAF: 19 September 1961
Leading Aircraftman Ernest Thomas Ryan (42292) (Supernumerary) Injured, Discharged from the RAAF: 12 December 1945
Aircraftman Class I Donald James Slatter (43622) (Supernumerary) Injured, Discharged from the RAAF: 25 March 1946
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/42/114; A9845, 119; A705, 32/18/95 (court of inquiry)