Current Information:

Age-23

16, Heathside, Golders Green

Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel, Somme

2nd Honourable Artillery Company, an infantry battalion despite its name, arrived in France on 2nd October, 1916 and became part of 22 Brigade, 7th Division. Their first experience in the front line came just over a week later, on 11th October, 1916,  when they took over the trenches in part of Ploegsteert Wood, just across the Belgian border from Armentières. They remained in this sector throughout October and most of November before moving south to the Somme for the rest of the winter.

On 5th January, 1917, they left the village of Bertrancourt and relieved 9th Devon in Brigade reserve at Beaumont-Hamel from where they provided working and carrying parties for a number of duties, including taking supplies to the front, a dangerous task given the hostile shelling taking place. On 12th January, the day they moved into the front line, Joseph Lewis was killed, probably by shell fire.