Son of Richard Lewis, a barrister, of Wimbledon and Secretary of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Before coming to Winchester he was with Rev. C. Fendall, at Windlesham. He played for two years in O.T.H. XV and in Lords. In 1892 he went up to University College, Oxford, keeping wicket for the University XI from 1894 to 1896, and also playing for Surrey and Middlesex. After leaving Oxford he acted for a short time as editor of the London Review. On the outbreak of the South African War he joined the City Imperial volunteers and after serving with them for some time in the Orange Free State, obtained a commission in October 1901, in the Devon Regiment. In 1904, he was appointed to the Central Africa Battalion of the King’s African Rifles and took part in the Nandi Expedition of 1905-1906, being mentioned in Despatches. In 1908, he was appointed to the Egyptian Army, and was detained in Egypt for some time after war broke out as an intelligence officer at Cairo. Early in 1917, after a period of service as Brigade-Major, he was appointed to command a battalion of the Manchester Regiment. ref. South African Roll of Honour 1914-1918