Lewis, CP

2nd Lieutenant Cuthbert Preston Lewis

Cuthbert was born on July 20^th 1890, the middle of three children born to surgeon Thomas Lewis and his Indian-born wife, Lucy, of whom he was the only son. He came to the College from the Prep at the beginning of 1905 and was a pupil at Dulwich for practically the next three years. After leaving at the end of 1907 he went on to take a place at London University, where he eventually graduated with a B.Sc. degree.

In September 1914, the second month of the war, Cuthbert enlisted in the Honourable Artillery Company, with whom he went over to the front for the first time the following April. Having served through the Battle of Hooge that June he was drafted to the Chemical Section of the Royal Engineers shortly afterwards; one of his first roles with his new unit was being involved in the gas release at Loos on September 25^th. In May 1916 he was promoted to Company Quarter-Master Sergeant, a position he would go on to hold for just over a year, until June 1917. That month Cuthbert was granted a commission, still in the Royal Engineers. Shortly afterwards he was leading his men to the trenches at Ploegsteert when they came under fire from a heavy artillery barrage in which he was killed instantly.