Kimberley War Hero

This year celebrates the centenary of the Royal Air Force. It is therefore fitting to recall a famous South African fighter pilot whose skill and bravery became renowned during the Battle of Britain. By Graham Jooste.

- Graham Jooste

Albert Lewis was born in 1918 in Kimberley, where he attended Kimberley Boys’ High School. An excellent sportsman, he was also passionate about aircraft and flying, and took flying lessons. At the age of 20, he made his way to England and joined the Royal Air Force (RAF).

His instructors noted his ability to convert rapidly to any aircraft type, a skill that was to stand him in good stead. The transition in aircraft design from the two-winged biplane to the faster, one-winged monoplane was well under way, producing such legendary aircraft as the Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire. These fighters would face similar formidable foes in the Messerschmitt Bf 109 in Europe, and the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero in the Pacific theatre.

In March 1939, Lewis was awarded his wings and posted to an advanced training school, where he passed with merit. From there he was sent to 754 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm. During this period he flew the Walrus, Magister, Mentor, Sea Fox and Swordfish.

In August of that year, Lewis crashed a big Walrus flying boat after engine failure and was confined to hospital for a period. On his recovery, he was posted to 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron, based at the Doncaster Race Course.

The following month the message went out: “Commence hostilities against Germany at once.” The war had begun.

DUNKIRK AND FIRST BLOOD

Because of his flying skill, Lewis was chosen for a hazardous mission to test a new type of propeller for the Hurricane. The ground staff watched breathlessly as Lewis looped, rolled and screamed down in a dive to level out above the runway. It was a brilliant exhibition of flying that was warmly applauded when he finally taxied to a halt.

Lewis went on to fly 307 hours on convoy patrols in various aircraft. By the time he was posted to 85 Squadron in France, he had honed the skills to become a great pilot.