Cecil Arthur Lewis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Squadron Leader
Cecil Arthur Lewis
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Cecil Arthur Lewis c. 1916
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| Born | 29 March 1898 Birkenhead, United Kingdom |
| Died | 27 January 1997 (aged 98) London, United Kingdom |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 British Army
 Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1915–1919 1939–1945 |
| Rank |  Squadron Leader |
| Unit |
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| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards |  Military Cross |
| Spouse(s) | Evdekia Dmitrievna Horvath |
| Children | 2 |
| Other work | Flight instructor A founding executive of the British Broadcasting Company Journalist for the Daily Mail Author |
Cecil Arthur Lewis (29 March 1898 – 27 January 1997) was a brave British pilot. He was a "flying ace" in the First World War. This means he shot down eight enemy aircraft. He flew with No. 56 Squadron RAF. After the war, he helped start the British Broadcasting Company (BBC). He also had a long career as a writer. His most famous book about flying was Sagittarius Rising. Parts of this book were even used in the movie Aces High.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Joining the War
Cecil Lewis was born on 29 March 1898 in Birkenhead, England. He was the only child of Edward and Alice Lewis. He went to schools like Dulwich College and Oundle. When he was seventeen, he left school.
In 1915, Lewis joined the Royal Flying Corps. This was the air force of Britain at the time. He learned to fly planes at Brooklands in Surrey. He lied about his age to join, as he was too young.
Flying in World War I
In 1916, Lewis flew a plane called the Morane Parasol. He was part of No. 3 Squadron. He was given the Military Cross award for his brave actions. This happened during the Battle of the Somme.
On the first day of the battle (1 July 1916), Lewis flew over the battlefield. His job was to report on where British troops were moving. He saw a huge explosion from mines at La Boiselle. He wrote about this amazing sight in his book Sagittarius Rising:
At Boiselle the earth heaved and flashed, a tremendous and magnificent column rose up into the sky. There was an ear-spitting roar, drowning all the guns flinging the machine sideways in the repercussing air. The earthly column rose, higher and higher to almost four thousand feet.
Lewis's plane was even hit by mud from the explosion!
Later, in May and June 1917, Lewis flew a different plane, the S.E.5a. He was with the special 56 Squadron. During this time, he shot down eight enemy planes. This made him a "flying ace."
He later served in England, helping to defend the country. In late 1918, he went back to France. He was a captain and flew a Sopwith Camel plane with 152 (Night-Fighter) Squadron.
In the 1960s, Lewis talked about his war experiences in a BBC interview. He said his first flight was very unusual. He saw large howitzer shells turning in the air at 8,000 feet. He also shared his scariest moment. It was a low-flying mission during the start of the Battle of the Somme. Shells flying close by made his plane shake a lot. Many of his friends died during this time.
Life After the War: Instructor, Journalist, and Broadcaster
After World War I, Lewis worked for a company called Vickers. He taught Chinese pilots how to fly. He also helped set up a new air service in China. This service would fly between Peking (now Beijing) and Shanghai.
In 1921, while in Peking, Lewis married Evdekia Dmitrievna Horvath. She was known as Doushka. They had a son, Ivor, and a daughter, Celia.
In 1922, Lewis became one of the five young people who started the British Broadcasting Company (BBC). This company later became the famous British Broadcasting Corporation. At the BBC, he wrote, produced, and directed shows. He also helped with the BBC's first sports broadcasts in 1927.
Lewis also worked in movies. In 1931, he helped write and direct a short film. In 1936-1937, he worked for the BBC's new television service. In 1938, Lewis and others won an Oscar for their movie script. It was for the film Pygmalion.
World War II Service
In 1939, Lewis joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. He served in the Mediterranean and Middle East. He rose to the rank of squadron leader.
The famous writer George Bernard Shaw once said about Lewis: "This prince of pilots has had a charmed life in every sense of the word. He is a thinker, a master of words and a bit of a poet."
Later Life and Legacy
In the late 1940s, Lewis became interested in the ideas of a Greek-Armenian thinker named Gurdjieff. He flew his plane to South Africa and tried to start a farm there. But the farm did not work out.
In 1950, he returned to England. He worked as a journalist for the Daily Mail newspaper from 1956 until he retired in 1966.
After retiring, Lewis moved to Corfu, an island in Greece. He lived there for the rest of his life. He kept writing even when he was in his nineties. He was the last British "flying ace" from the First World War to pass away. He died on 27 January 1997, at the age of 98.
Family Life
Cecil Lewis married Evdekia Dmitrievna Horvath, known as Doushka, in 1921. They had two children, a son named Ivor (born 1923) and a daughter named Celia (born 1924). They lived in Chelsea, London, while Lewis worked for the BBC. Through his friend George Bernard Shaw, the Lewises met many famous people like T. E. Lawrence and H. G. Wells. Cecil and Doushka later divorced in 1940.
In 1942, Lewis married Olga H. Burnett, but they later divorced in 1950. In 1960, he married Frances Lowe, known as Fanny. In 1970, they bought a boat and sailed it to Corfu. They settled there and lived together until Lewis passed away in 1997. In 1996, Lewis published his last book, So Long Ago, So Far Away.
