Sergeant Joseph Lewis (1108878) served in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve during the Second World War. He was the son of Thomas Lewis and Anna Mary Lewis of Lisburn, Co. Antrim.
He died on 24th April 1942 aged 26 years old on Bristol Blenheim V5458 RT-O while serving in RAF 114 Squadron. The Mark IV plane took off at 2215hrs from RAF West Raynham, Norfolk. The mission was a Night Intruder sortie over Leeuwarden Airfield, Leeuwarden, Netherlands.
A Luftwaffe fighter possibly shot the Blenheim down over the North Sea. Oberleutnant Helmut Woltersdorf of 7/NJG 1 (detached to II/NJG 2) in a Messerschmitt Bf 110 claimed to have shot down the Blenheim around 2km north of Ameland Island, Netherlands. The plane disappeared without a trace leaving all crew members missing presumed killed.
Remembering the crew of Blenheim V5458
| Last Name | First Name(s) | Rank | Role | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis | Joseph | Sergeant | RAFVR 1108878. Missing presumed killed. | |
| McIntyre | James | Sergeant | Observer | RAFVR 1061697. Missing presumed killed. |
| McKenny | Patrick | Sergeant | RAFVR 1014114. Missing presumed killed. |
Joseph Lewis has no known grave. His name is on Panel 88 of the Runnymede Memorial, Surrey, England.