Hubert William Lewis

Hubert William Lewis
Hubert William Lewis VC
Nickname(s)	Stokey
Born	1 May 1896 Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Died	22 February 1977 (aged 80) Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Buried	Milford Haven Cemetery, Milford Haven
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1914−
Rank	Lance Corporal
Service number	16224
Unit	Welch Regiment Home Guard
Battles/wars	World War I
Awards	Victoria Cross Médaille militaire

Lance Corporal Hubert William Lewis (1 May 1896 – 22 February 1977) was a Welsh soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Born in Milford Haven, he left school at 13 to work in a local fish market. He enlisted in the Welsh Regiment in 1914 and, after serving briefly in France, he was reposted to the Macedonian front of the First World War. During a night raid on German trenches, despite being wounded twice, he single-handedly captured three enemy soldiers before carrying a wounded officer back to safety under artillery fire. For his actions he was awarded the Victoria Cross, becoming the youngest Welsh recipient of the award. He later performed a similar feat when carrying a captain to safety in 1918 during an assault on an enemy position.

After the war, he returned to Milford Haven where he married and raised three children. He continued working in the local fish market, first as a trader before becoming the foreman for an ice company at the site for over 40 years. He served in the Home Guard during the Second World War. Prior to his death in 1977, he was the last surviving Welsh Victoria Cross recipient from the First World War.