Frank Oswald Lewis

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Captain Frank O. Lewis, 1919.
Portrait: © National Portrait Gallery, London.

Captain Frank Oswald Lewis, C.B.E., R.N. (30 November, 1873 – 3 September, 1962) was an officer of the Royal Navy. His evaluations indicate he was a smart officer who paid close attention.

Early Life & Career

Lewis was promoted to Lieutenant on 30 June, 1895.

On 11 November, 1902 he was appointed to the second class protected cruiser Flora as first and gunnery officer.[1]

In 1904, Flora was grounded, and Lewis distinguished himself through his "capable & zealous" conduct. Also that year, he introduced new telescopic sights for the ship's 6-pdr guns, eliciting praise for his "well directed efforts to improve shooting."[2]

Lewis was promoted to Commander on 31 December, 1905 and remained in Flora as her executive officer until 3 January, 1906.

In May 1906 he was suffering from neurasthenia and admitted to Osborne Convalescent Home. He was declared fit on 26 September, 1906.[3]

Lewis was promoted to Captain on 30 June, 1913.

When war broke out, Lewis was serving at Portsmouth as the Superintendent of Physical Training. An appointment to Charybdis was considered in October 1914, but is crossed out in his Service Record, and he remained at Portsmouth as Assistant Captain for Portsmouth Extended Defences[4] until September 1916, when he was made captain of the armoured cruiser King Alfred, serving as Flag Captain to Rear Admiral Sheppard until July 1917,[5] and remaining with her until the end of August 1917.

He re-commenced duties as Flag Captain to Rear Admiral Sheppard and assumed command of Bacchante on 1 September 1917, serving as such until superseded in January 1919.[6]

Lewis was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 16 September, 1920.

Later Life

Lewis was married on 27 September 1921 in Tarrington, near Hereford to Enid Mary Green-Price.[7]

He died on 3 September 1962 at Clatterbrune, Presteigne, Radnorshire in Wales.[8]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
John D. Kelly
In Command, Physical Training School, Portsmouth
7 Apr, 1914[9]c. Oct, 1914
Succeeded by
Bernard T. Coote
Preceded by
Henry B. T. Somerville
Captain of H.M.S. King Alfred
Sep, 1916[10] – 1 Sep, 1917
Succeeded by
John G. Armstrong
Preceded by
John G. Armstrong
Captain of H.M.S. Bacchante
Aug, 1917[11] – 14 Jan, 1919
Succeeded by
Horace C. Watson
 

Footnotes

  1. Lewis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/356. f. 391.
  2. Lewis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/356. f. 391.
  3. Lewis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/356. f. 391.
  4. Lewis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/356. f. 391.
  5. "HMS KING ALFRED – September 1915 to May 1918, Central & North Atlantic, British waters" [ship's log]. Available at https://www.naval-history.net/OWShips-WW1-05-HMS_King_Alfred.htm, accessed on 7 December 2020.
  6. Lewis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/356. f. 391.
  7. The Tatler (21 September 1921), p. viii.
  8. Principal Probate Registry. Calendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice in England.
  9. The Navy List. (July, 1914). p. 392.
  10. The Navy List. (August, 1917). p. 394w.
  11. The Navy List. (December, 1918). p. 736.