Gwilym Hugh Lewis
| Gwilym Hugh Lewis | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | "Noisy" |
| Born |
5 August 1897 Moseley, Birmingham, England |
| Died | 18 December 1996 (aged 99) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | British Army Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1915–1919 1939–1944 |
| Rank | Wing Commander |
| Unit |
No. 32 Squadron RFC No. 40 Squadron RAF |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross |
| Other work | Became insurance broker. |
Wing Commander Gwilym Hugh Lewis DFC (5 August 1897 – 18 December 1996) was a British flying ace during World War I. He was credited with 12 confirmed aerial victories. He went on to a very successful career as an insurance broker. Lewis was the next to last surviving British ace from the war, as well as the longest lived, dying eight months before his hundredth birthday. His wide range of friends included Prime Minister Winston Churchill, playwright Noël Coward, and fellow aces Stan Dallas, Mick Mannock, and George McElroy.
Born in Moseley, Birmingham, in 1897 to Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Lewis, he was educated at Marlborough College. He volunteered for the Northamptonshire Regiment for service early in World War I. On 10 September 1915, having trained at the Officers' Training Corps at the University of London, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant; however, he was not entitled to pay and allowances until the following 3 January. His first try at transferring to the Royal Flying Corps was refused because they had no openings. Lewis then procured £100 from his father for tuition, and put himself through private pilot's training at Hendon on a Grahame-White Boxkite. Lewis was awarded Aviators' Certificate No. 2116 on 27 November 1915. The RFC then accepted him and sent him to the Central Flying School at Upavon.
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