Post by Administrator on Nov 25, 2006 15:26:57 GMT
Late 1940, two Welsh Brothers Kenneth James Lewis and Raymond Leslie Lewis walked aboard their first ship, the Cardiff registered cargo ship SS Fiscus, 4,815grt, (W.H. Seager Co. Tempus Shipping Ltd).
Within a few weeks both would be dead after the ship was torpedoed and sunk by U-99 on the 18th October 1940 in the North Atlantic with the loss of all hands while sailing to the Clyde from Sydney, Cape Breton in Convoy SC-7.
A tragedy in itself made worse by the fact they should never have been onboard to begin with. Kenneth Lewis was only 14 years old, His Brother Raymond 15. The two boys are believed to of forged a letter from their Father stating he had given permission for them to join the ship.
Kenneth and Raymond Lewis are commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial in London on Panel 49. Two of the youngest serving Merchant Seamen killed in WWII.
A commemoration including photo's of the two Brothers sent to me by their relatives can be found on this link:
www.merchant-navy.net/History/Lewis%20Brothers.html
The CWGC has the names of 513 Merchant Seamen aged 14 to 16 who died between 1939-1945. The youngest known Second World War service death being that of Raymond Victor Steed, age 14, Galley Boy from the S.S. Empire Morn killed 26th April 1943 after his ship hit a mine. Buried Ben M' Sik European Cemetery, Morocco, Plot 59A. Row 1. Grave 1.
Sons of Evan Thomas Lewis and Ethel Helena Lewis, of Cardiff.
LINK UPDATED: Article attributed to Mr. Billy McGee.
