George Lewis, a World War Two veteran, has received his long-awaited medals almost 80 years late. The 98-year-old from Watchet, Somerset served with the Royal Tank Regiment from 1944 to 1947, but never received his medals, likely due to them being lost in the post. Finally, the War Medal 1939-45 and the France and Germany Star have been presented to him at an event at the Royal British Legion Club by the deputy lieutenant of Somerset Brigadier Richard Toomey.
The journey to this moment began when Valerie Norman, one of Lewis’ neighbours, contacted her brother, who also served with the same regiment. Her brother passed on the story to the Regimental Association, which provided the medals. Many members of Lewis’ family attended the ceremony, expressing their gratitude for the recognition of his service.
Lewis described how it was a shock to him that they were finally able to find a complete record and award him the medals after all this time. He said that it seems like an awful lot of fuss to go to, but it’s nice to know that they respect the work they did for people.
In February 1944, one month after his 18th birthday, Lewis was signed up to serve and enlisted as a commander of a tank. He saw action in Belgium, Holland, and Germany, where he and a friend drove with a party of 10 to protect them while they dug a trench. In the evening, they would return to collect the injured. His daughter Liz Lewis, who lives with him, expressed her delight that her father was getting the recognition he deserved, adding that it is an honour for them all
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