William Edgar Lewis – Royal Warwickshire Regiment

Private William Edgar Lewis – Royal Warwickshire Regiment

Early Life and Family Background

William Edgar Lewis was born in 1898 in Swansea, the son of John Elias Lewis and Mary Elizabeth Lewis. Later in life he married Janet Lewis, but no official records survive that shed light on his childhood or early years, leaving the details of his upbringing largely unknown.

Military Service – Royal Warwickshire Regiment

William served as a Private in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, a unit with a long and distinguished history within the British Army. The regiment drew men from across Britain during the Second World War, and its battalions were deployed in home defence, overseas operations, and garrison duties. You can explore more about the regiment’s background through Royal_Warwickshire_Regiment.

Disappearance and Discovery in the Shetland Islands

William was last seen alive on 21 November 1941. More than a month later, on 30 December 1941, his body was discovered in the sea at Alexandra Wharf, Lerwick, in the Shetland Islands. The circumstances of his disappearance remain unclear, and contemporary reports offered no detailed explanation of how he came to be in the water. His death marked the final recorded loss of 1941, closing a year of heavy wartime casualties both at home and abroad.

William Edgar Lewis 
Morriston Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Burial

Following the recovery of his body, William Edgar Lewis was brought home to Swansea and buried at Morriston Cemetery, where his grave stands among the many servicemen who died during the Second World War.