February 5, 2024

Lewis Brothers in Arms who gave the ultimate sacrifice

The Lewis Brothers of Milton were the sons of Thomas Henry Lewis and his Ada Mary nee Pryce. Both Harold and Robert Lewis were born in Bendoc Victoria, with the Lewis family moving to Ulladulla region in the early 1900s and established an apple orchard at Cockwhy.

Harold spent most of his life on the land, and was an expert bushman, standing 6ft 2in in height and worked as a labourer at Fred Sellick’s farm at Cockwhy.

Harold Walter Lewis enlisted at Milton in May 1915 and was assigned as a private to the 1st Battalion, 5th Reinforcement leaving Sydney in June 1915 for active service. He celebrated his 23rd birthday on the shores of Gallipoli. He was wounded in the fight at Lone Pine, and having recovered, had just returned to the front again, when he was killed in action on 1 December 1915 at the Dardanelles. He is buried at the Shell Green Cemetery, Gallipoli Peninsula, 1150 yards south of Anzac Cove.

His epitaph at Gallipoli reads: To Live In Hearts, We Leave Behind, Is Not To Die. Harold name is listed on the Kendall Cottage Memorial – To Our Fallen Comrades, Milton Ulladulla RSL Honour Roll, Milton Town Memorial, Milton Church of England, Yatte Yattah Community and the Batemans Bay War Memorial. He is on the Milton Primary School Honour roll as his Brother Robert Lewis.

Robert James Lewis like his brother Harold was an was an expert bushman, he enlisted in May 1916 at Kiama via Milton, in August 1916 he embarked on HMAT Anchises A68 with the 45th Battalion, 5th Reinforcement. Robert was never to see Australian soil again. Robert too gave the ultimate sacrifice, Robert was killed in in Belgium on 7 June 1917, and buried Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium. He was first listed as wounder as missing in action, in December 1917 he was declared as killed in action.

Roberts name also is listed on many of the local Honour Rolls: Kendall Cottage Memorial – To Our Fallen Comrades, Milton Ulladulla RSL Honour Roll, Milton Church of England, Milton Town Memorial, Milton Primary School, Yatte Yattah Community roll and the Batemans Bay War Memorial

The Lewis family continued with the apple orchard until the 1930s. Members of the Lewis family married into local families from both Milton and Batemans Bay including the Turnbull, Leaney, Donovan, Mackey, Petty and Cole families.

Image: Anzac Beach: AWM H001 99
Image Harold Walter Lewis and his mother Ada Lewis: Author’s Collection