LEWIS, Noel

Noel Lewis was the son of William and Eliza Lewis of St. Thomas's parish. He attended Old Swinford Hospital from 1898 and left in 1905 to learn hairdressing with his brother who lived in Birmingham Street. He was later employed by Tangye's of Birmingham. He was married in 1915 to Pollie and lived at 18 Church Street, Stourbridge. He enlisted in October 1916 and went to France in May 1917 when he was posted to the 17th Company, F Battalion, The Tank Corps, as a Lewis gunner. His unit was involved on the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres on 31st July. His Company advanced from St. Jean to the front line with three sections of four tanks, together with infantry of the 55th Division. Only two men were killed in the attack, but one was Private Noel Lewis who was killed by shell fire. His officer wrote to his wife that he was 'a good hard-working soldier, and I was very proud of him'. He was 29 years of age and is commemorated on the Menin Gate, Stourbridge and Old Swinford Hospital Memorials.