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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: guest259648 on Monday 18 January 16 14:19 GMT (UK)

Title: John Adrian Lewis sergeant-pilot killed 1940
Post by: guest259648 on Monday 18 January 16 14:19 GMT (UK)
Seeking photo of John Adrian Lewis (known as Jack), 1912 - April 1940. RAF pilot, 223 squadron. Born Birkenhead, married in Grantham March 1940 to Evelyn Ward. His parents John Lewis + Margaret (nee Williams) lived at Abbey Mount Llantysilio Denbighshire 1930s - 1972. He played for Grantham Town FC in 1936 (Hospital/Charity Cup v Doncaster Rovers). Commemorated on Llangollen Memorial. But what does he look like? Need archive newspaper photo/football team photo. Grateful for any suggestions. Thank you :-)
Title: Re: John Adrian Lewis sergeant-pilot killed 1940
Post by: anne_p on Monday 18 January 16 17:13 GMT (UK)
Death announcement appears in The Grantham Journal dated 12 Apr 1940.
Sadly there is no photo.
Ive also looked at various  newspaper articles re Grantham Town FC but can find no menton of him.

Many of their players  circa 1934-1936 seem to be local volunteers who played only occasionally
Title: Re: John Adrian Lewis sergeant-pilot killed 1940
Post by: taffie01 on Monday 18 January 16 17:33 GMT (UK)
hello Dulciebun and welcome to rootschat.

have you tried the football club? it is just possible they may have some photographic records of that match team and possibly some info on John.
Title: Re: John Adrian Lewis sergeant-pilot killed 1940
Post by: guest259648 on Monday 18 January 16 18:14 GMT (UK)
Thanks a lot anne_p, taffie 01, appreciated. Good suggestions. I can't (yet) find a member of the Grantham football club who knows anything about archive shots. There was a photographer at the cup presentation in 1936 and both teams were present, but the paper chose to print a pic of the dignitaries, not the players. Maybe I need a football historian? (Where do you find one?) Also: do you know if the RAF holds class photos of personnel at their graduations etc? (There are no photos in the individuals' own records.) If so, where to look?
Title: Re: John Adrian Lewis sergeant-pilot killed 1940
Post by: nanny jan on Monday 18 January 16 18:58 GMT (UK)
Have you searched the Internet for an archivist for 223 Squadron?   There's a slight chance that there might be a photograph.


Nanny Jan
Title: Re: John Adrian Lewis sergeant-pilot killed 1940
Post by: guest259648 on Tuesday 19 January 16 07:31 GMT (UK)
Good thought, Nanny Jan - I spent an hour looking, and found some associations which have info. on the squadrons, but it's general time-line stuff, and no personal photos or working archivists. I did find a website dedicated to collecting & posting uniformed photographs of those who died in Normandy, with photos of the original graves and markers... what a brilliant idea... in my opinion the faces of the fallen are just as important as their names; we need more sites like this one. Still no photo of John Adrian Lewis. Any further ideas, please?
Title: Re: John Adrian Lewis sergeant-pilot killed 1940
Post by: nanny jan on Tuesday 19 January 16 11:30 GMT (UK)

Have you researched his wider family; cousins etc. ?
Title: Re: John Adrian Lewis sergeant-pilot killed 1940
Post by: Flattybasher9 on Tuesday 19 January 16 11:45 GMT (UK)
Can I take it that you have already seen this

http://www.llangollenmuseum.org.uk/english/Memorials/LlantysilioWW2/JohnLewis/Summary.htm

Regards

Malky
Title: Re: John Adrian Lewis sergeant-pilot killed 1940
Post by: guest259648 on Tuesday 19 January 16 14:09 GMT (UK)
Yes Nanny Jan, I have drawn up a family tree 3 generations back and 3 forward. There are some living family members. Maybe you can advise on this, about how best to handle it: when I've approached people in the past I've been successful in getting facts, and details - but if you ask for photos there is often a lot of suspicion about what you're going to do with them. I'm always polite, and carefully explain, but I've had a few difficult experiences re photos, and this is why I'm trying to find one another way.
Title: Re: John Adrian Lewis sergeant-pilot killed 1940
Post by: guest259648 on Tuesday 19 January 16 14:15 GMT (UK)
Hello Malky, it's kind of you to retrieve this report about John Adrian Lewis. It's full of useful facts which I've done my best to follow up, but none has yet led to an image of this man. Did RAF personnel have exams, and graduations, like the Navy do? I'm wondering if there are e.g. class photos from the 1930s, and if so, where? I've also found out he was a 'Halston?? brat' - does anyone know what that means?
Title: Re: John Adrian Lewis sergeant-pilot killed 1940
Post by: nanny jan on Tuesday 19 January 16 14:30 GMT (UK)
I've also found out he was a 'Halston?? brat' - does anyone know what that means?


Possibly RAF Halton?


Nanny Jan
Title: Re: John Adrian Lewis sergeant-pilot killed 1940
Post by: harrywrag on Tuesday 19 January 16 16:29 GMT (UK)
how about trying Doncaster rovers football club or their historian they may have a photo of both the teams
Title: Re: John Adrian Lewis sergeant-pilot killed 1940
Post by: guest259648 on Tuesday 19 January 16 19:00 GMT (UK)
Halton! Yes that's better. Thank you. And Harrywrag, yes there may be a greater chance of Doncaster having a photo - except that they lost the match and would have been pretty miffed about it... so may not have preserved any photos. But worth a try, definitely.
Title: Re: John Adrian Lewis sergeant-pilot killed 1940
Post by: guest259648 on Saturday 06 February 16 11:41 GMT (UK)
Just wanted to report SUCCESS in finding photo of RAF pilot John Adrian Lewis 1912 - 1940. My thanks to all who helped :-)
Title: Re: John Adrian Lewis sergeant-pilot killed 1940
Post by: nanny jan on Saturday 06 February 16 12:19 GMT (UK)

Well done!  :D
Title: Re: John Adrian Lewis sergeant-pilot killed 1940
Post by: Haychris on Saturday 20 April 19 12:28 BST (UK)
Hello, can I ask what you wanted the image for? Adrian was my great uncle. I know you’ve found m image but I was just curious.
Title: Re: John Adrian Lewis sergeant-pilot killed 1940
Post by: guest259648 on Saturday 20 April 19 15:45 BST (UK)
Hello, can I ask what you wanted the image for? Adrian was my great uncle. I know you’ve found m image but I was just curious.
.........................................
Hello Haychris, I'm very happy to explain, but it would be more suitable to reply in a private message I think. How may I contact you? Can we do so through this site?
 
Title: Re: John Adrian Lewis sergeant-pilot killed 1940
Post by: nanny jan on Saturday 20 April 19 15:54 BST (UK)
Haychris needs to make another post before you can both use the PM system.


Haychris.....just post something like "hi" and you will be able to exchange details privately.
Title: Re: John Adrian Lewis sergeant-pilot killed 1940
Post by: nanny jan on Saturday 20 April 19 16:10 BST (UK)
Haychris should be able to see the reply unless they have switched off notification....which is unlikely.
Title: Re: John Adrian Lewis sergeant-pilot killed 1940
Post by: Haychris on Saturday 20 April 19 17:33 BST (UK)
Ok, chat through here, That’s fine
Title: Re: John Adrian Lewis sergeant-pilot killed 1940
Post by: guest259648 on Saturday 20 April 19 19:09 BST (UK)
Ok, chat through here, That’s fine

Hi Haychris, I've tried to send you a PM through this system. If it doesn't show up, please tell me on here. Thanks :-)
Title: Re: John Adrian Lewis sergeant-pilot killed 1940
Post by: guest259648 on Saturday 20 April 19 20:57 BST (UK)
Haychris needs to make another post before you can both use the PM system.


Haychris.....just post something like "hi" and you will be able to exchange details privately.
.................

Unhappy about this: I'm a generous individual and I responded to a request for information, see these posts. I've posted several times and also sent personal messages - and now the enquirer says they don't want anything! Bizarre... and I don't think this the right way to behave.  Dulciebun