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Lewis was schooled at Naracoorte in the south east of South Australia – both primary and secondary, with his final year at Prince Alfred College, Adelaide, as a boarder. Lewis was dux of his class.
Lewis, unlike his twin David, never wanted to go on the land, and went straight into the business of DeGaris and & Sons, a stock and station agency which covered the south-east of South Australia when he completed his schooling. It didn't take him long to “be on the road”.
Both Lewis and his twin brother David, enlisted for World War 2, and saw active service. Their older brother Jim enlisted in the Light Horse but was medically unfit for service.
Lewis joined the Royal Australian Air Force and trained as a navigator. His service number was 417164, and at the stage of his death was a Warrant Officer of 251 Squadron with the RAF.


. The Narracoorte Herald
Friday 15 August 1941
Personal.
Mr. Lewis DeGaris, who went to Adelaide on Friday last, has successfully passed his examinations for the R.A.A.F., and expects to be called up within two or three months.


The Narracoorte Herald
Friday 26 June 1942
Air Observer Lewis DeGaris spent a few days with his people in Narracoorte recently prior to his transfer to No. 2 A.O.S., Mount Gambier.

His first training was at Mount Gambier, South Australia, where he started in an Avro Anson, which was very noisy aircraft.
The Avro Anson was a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served mainly with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and the Royal Canadian Air Force during, and after the World War 2. It was developed for maritime reconnaissance, but was found to be obsolete in this role. It was then found to be suitable as a multi-engine aircrew trainer, training pilots for flying multi-engine bombers such as the Avro Lancaster which became the mainstay of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
Lewis started his training as a navigator at Victor Harbor, South Australia and was based at Mt Breckon, a grand 38-room residence. He was there for about three months. From Victor Harbor Lewis then moved to Mt Gambier, again for three months.
If possible, Lewis would go home to Naracoorte on weekends, which was only one hour north of Mt Gambier
After Mt Gambier, Lewis moved to Nhill, Victoria for another three months, then a further three months near Wagga, New South Wales; Banff and Toronto in Canada; Ayreshire, Scotland; before his last move to Iceland.
He went to Canada in 1942 and was there for three months training in the Empire Air Training Scheme. He stayed in a hotel in Banff, and then transferred to Toronto. From Toronto, there was more training in the United Kingdom at the Edinburgh Base at Barmouth, north western Wales. He was then moved to Ayreshire, Scotland.


The Naracoorte Herald
Friday 19 February 1943
Mr. A. C. DeGaris has received a cable from his son, Sgt. Observer Lewis DeGaris, stating that he has arrived in America. Flt-Sgt Lewis De Garis in now an operational base.

Lewis was an avid letter writer, numbering each letter in turn. The following letter was printed in the Narracoorte Herald, with letter #70 following. It should be noted that Lewis invariably referred to Iceland as ‘Icy Land’.

Sunday 5/9/43
Dear All at Home
This will have to do - today’s letter - as really I haven’t much time. Yesterday I received a wire from the RAF and I have to leave here tonight instead of Tuesday morning. It doesn’t make much difference and I have had a wonderful 4 weeks leave so can’t moan about 2 days very well. I am returning to the station which I left – that is Thornaby, Yorkshire. I don’t know what will happen then – we may have to do a conversion course for 3 or so weeks. I won’t mind as then there will be more leave in the wind after that. I’m lucky in being in such a place, so as to make the best use of leave. I guess later on leave won’t have such significance.
Saturday afternoon I caught the electric train to London. These trains are very fast, but stop many times and usually take about 50 mins to do the 30 miles. I did my usual – called at Kodak house and low and behold if there weren’t 3 more letters for me – written August 3 & 15th. So were rather quick in coming (Mother, Mard, Dad and Jim). Thanks so much. I usually say 3 words when I receive mail – ‘good old mum’ as the case maybe. I didn’t expect them as I had read 7 two days previously.
I also read a letter from a girlfriend in New York – so had a very lucky day. On Saturday night we had a good game of pontoon and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. In the afternoon Norma, her girlfriend, John and I went for a long walk. It reminded me of our Sunday night walks – we had equally as much fun. Norma and I went to Windsor for a bike ride yesterday morning – 7 miles away. We saw nearly all of these views, including Eton College. We have just come from church, so thought I’d have time to write before dinner. At present Mrs Oates had 3 friends staying so we are like a “Windera” family today. I’m leaving at 8 tonight and will travel all night and arrive at the station at about 7 tomorrow morning so my next letter will be written from there.
Cheers for now. Lots of Love Lewis.


Letter No. 70.
417164
F/S De GARIS L.C.
R.A.A.F. BASE P.O
KODAK HOUSE
KINGSWAY, LONDON
22/9/43
Dear all at Home,
Since last writing I have received your very welcome cable of Sept. 17th Mother dear.
Thanks ever so much. It didn’t lose any time in coming – a reply to mine in 6 days – must be a record I think.
I am at present writing this in the Ante Room while listening to “Music while you work”. I am still at Thornaby but when I write next time I’ll be quite a distance away. Back to snow and ice. “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas” is my theme song now.
You will probably know where I’ll be when I write an experience and I’m quite looking forward to it.
I will send you some stamps Bob, which you probably haven’t got.
Today is a beautiful day – but was it cold earlier this morning! I don’t know how many blankets I had on during the night, but I seemed to be folding them for ages this morning when I made up my bed.
Saturday night a Canadian cobber Jack Christenson and I went into Stockton. First of all we had a feed at the Y.M.C.A. then we had a game of billiards. I’m hoping there will be plenty of billiard tables where I’m going as its great relaxation.
Sunday night we visited the Y.M.C.A again – this time for a concert. It wasn’t too bad – amusing in parts.
Monday night Jack and I took a couple of A.T.S. women to the dance and ended up at the (?).

Lewis was one of two Australian crew members in a RAF bomber of the 251 Squadron operating out of Reykjavik, Iceland. On 16 July 1944, his bomber, a Lockheed Hudson, serial number FH 361 was within 500 metres of the ground when an engine failed with fatal consequences.
A good friend Johno Johnson had just returned from a twelve hour mission and was scheduled to fly out on another mission after a rest of two hours. Lewis approached him and said he couldn’t let him go so Lewis took Johno’s position. The crew that Lewis crashed with was not his usual group. This was their first flight in Iceland, so Lewis was ‘showing them the ropes’.


Incidentally Lewis’s normal crew crashed a short while later with all on board killed. Lewis’s number was certainly up.
In 1949 when Lewis’s parents and Bob went to England they met up with Johno who spoke very kindly of Lewis. John was one of the few survivors from the Icelandic base.

The official record states that the cause of his death was a “Flying Battle”. The official summary of the crash given by the RAAF is as follows:

Hudson FH361 (S for Sugar) took off from Reykjavik at 0202 hours on 16th July 1944, on a Meteorological reconnaissance sortie. The take-off appeared normal and was seen a few minutes later some 3 miles off the airfield flying straight on an easterly course at about
500 feet. The aircraft was then seen to bank violently to the left. It was presumed the aircraft had stalled and had dived into the ground out of control. It appeared that the aircraft had crashed as a result of loss of control caused by the stall. All the crew were killed.

Built in America, the Lockheed Hudson was classed as a light bomber and was used as coastal reconnaissance. The aircraft served throughout the war, mainly with Coastal Command but was also used in transport and training roles as well as delivering agents into occupied France. They were also used extensively as anti-submarine squadrons by both the RAAF and the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Lewis's squadron operated mainly as a Meteorology Reconnaissance until it was finally disbanded in October 1945. Their meteorological information was passed on to the hierarchy back in England to assist in their planning of future bombing runs and invasions including the D-day assault routes into Normandy.

The Crew were as follows:
• RAF Flt Lt Pain, Charles A Captain (Pilot), 22, Birmington;
• RAAF 417164 WO L C De Garis, (Navigator Bomb Aimer), 22, Naracoorte, South Australia;
• RAF Sgt. D H Bowdidge, (Wireless Operator Air);
• RAF Sgt. Rayner Winterburn, (Wireless Operator Air), 22, of Yorkshire.
• RAAF 420524 Flt Sgt. B S Blatch, Navigator Bomb Aimer), 21, Colo Vale, N.S.W., Australia;

Benny enlisted 8 November 1941, Sydney, New South Wales. He was born in Mittagong, New South Wales, 23 January 1923, and attended the Aylmerton Public School. Benny was a farmer in the Colo Vale district.

There are five members of the RAAF buried at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery Reykjavik (Fossvogur), Iceland. They are:

• 420524 Warrant Officer Benjamin George Blatch, 251 Squadron, RAF from Colo Vale, NSW (accidentally killed on 16 July 1944);

• 14938 Aircraftman 1 Douglas John Buckle, RAAF Overseas Headquarters, from Engadine, NSW (died of illness on 27 August 1941);

• 405831 Flight Lieutenant Kenneth David Clarson, 45 Group, RAF from Pialba, Queensland (accidentally killed 7 November 1944);

• 417164 Warrant Officer Lewis Clement De Garis, 251 squadron, RAF from Naracoorte, South Australia (killed on flying operations over Iceland on 16 July 1944); and,

• 402982 Flight Sergeant Evariste Pierre Dubois, 269 Squadron, RAF from Gosford, NSW (killed on flying operations over Iceland on 23 January 1943).

All of the crew of the Hudson FH361 (S for Sugar) are buried in the Reykjavik (Fossvogur) Cemetery, Iceland.

Iceland was under Allied occupation for much of the Second World War, primarily to guard against possible German invasion, but the considerable air and naval forces based there also provided an important link in the defensive chain across the Atlantic for the protection of shipping. Commonwealth land forces were relieved by the Americans in October 1942, but the naval and air force presence was maintained until 1945.
No 50 General Hospital was based at Reykjavik from June 1940 top March 1942 and No 30 General Hospital from July 1940 to September 1941. This civil cemetery has two war graves plots (C-3 / C-30 to C-49) containing a total of 212 commonwealth burials. Four of these burials were made in the summer of 2000 when weather conditions made it possible to recover remains from an aircraft that had crashed into a glacier in 1941.
The war graves plots contain 42 Navy, 48 Army, 106 Air Force and 16 Merchant Navy graves. Their nationalities are: 146 British, 47 Canadian, 5 Australian, 4 New Zealand, 8 Norwegian, 1 Russian and 1 neutral.
The majority of RAF Bomber Command aircrew were aged 19 through to their mid-twenties although younger and considerably older airmen have been identified. The average age is stated to have been 21.
In total 364,514 operational sorties were flown and 8,325 aircraft lost in action. Bomber Command aircrews suffered a high casualty rate: of a total of 125,000 aircrew, 57,205 were killed (a 46 percent death rate), a further 8,403 were wounded in action and 9,838 became prisoners of war. Therefore, a total of 75,446 airmen (60 percent of operational airmen) were killed, wounded or taken prisoner.
Warrant officer, Lewis De Garis is buried in the Reykjavik (Fossvogur) Cemetery, Iceland. His name is listed on the memorial at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, under the RAF. His parents, A C and Edith donated money in his memory for the front gates at the Naracoorte High School, as well as the Lewis De Garis annual memorial prize (English) at the same school. He also received an award posthumously.

Lewis’s father later wrote;
That was the saddest news of our life. A wonderful man and a splendid son was no more. We received many letters paying tribute to Lewis but the one we cherished the most was from Squadron padre who described Lewis as “God's gift on the squadron”.

The Naracoorte Herald
Friday 21 July 1944
Death of Warrant-Officer Lewis De Garis.
News has been received by his parents of the death of Warrant-Officer Lewis De Garis, twin son of Mr. and Mrs. A. C. De Garis, of Naracoorte while engaged in air operations in Iceland. The notification of his death gives the following details: He was a member of the crew of a Hudson aircraft, which crashed in West Iceland, whilst carrying out an operational meteorological flight from Reykjavik. He enlisted in the R.A.A.F. in January, 1942, and after training at various bases in Australia he went to Canada, finishing his training in England. A little over four months ago he was posted to Iceland during which time he had made one return to England, returning to Iceland again on the 28th June last. Born in 1922 he, with his twin brother, David, was educated at the Naracoorte Primary and High Schools, and finished his education at Prince Alfred's College. He was a young man of stirling qualities, and although he was only in the business of De Garis, Sons and Co., Ltd., for three years before enlisting, he had made many friends all over the district. He was a keen sportsman, and excelled at football, and was a good tennis player. He was a member of the Methodist Church, having been an office bearer for several years. David De Garis is in the A.I.F., and has served in the Middle East and New Guinea. Much sympathy is felt for the bereaved family in the loss of a devoted son and brother.

The Naracoorte Herald
Monday 17 September, 1951
LATE W.O. L. C. De GARIS
Mr. A. C. DeGaris has shown us a letter he received from the British Legation in Reykjavik, Iceland, which reads:
You may like to know that about ceremony in Fossvogur Cemetery on June 7; a Cross of Sacrifice was unveiled commemorating the British war dead in Iceland.
The ceremony, which was simple but most moving, was conducted by the Lord Bishop of Iceland. A party from H.M.S. Coquette, of the Royal Navy, fired a salute and their buglers blew the Last Post.
I myself read the lessons and called the roll of the dead.
I enclose a photograph of the ceremony, which I am sure you will wish to have.
(Signed) J. D. Greenway,
H.M. Minister.

Lewis’s mother was happy that Lew was stationed in Iceland, and not based in England doing the bombing runs over Germany. She believed that he was safer. Unfortunately, though, the aircraft flown in Iceland were not manufactured for the shocking conditions that they operated in. The engines were prone to freeze and/or seize in the icy conditions. The fatality rate among pilots in the Iceland area was far higher than that of pilots who were based in England who flew bombing runs over German controlled areas.

1338114 F/S Johnson E.A.
SGT’s Mess
R.A.F. Station
Reykjavik “A”
Iceland Forces “C”
20th July
Dear Mr and Mrs De Garis,
I am afraid I am not very good at writing letters at the best of time and under these circumstances it is extremely difficult, so please excuse the mistakes I may make.
Lew had been my constant companion for a year and I think it has been one of the best years of my life.
Being a somewhat irresponsible person I always looked to Lew for advice and guidance, which he readily gave and I know there will never be another friend to take his place.
As you know we had a great amount leave which we both spent together, and no matter where we spent we enjoyed ourselves immensely.
He was extremely popular wherever we went and his loss to us in Iceland can never be replaced. His smile and devotion to duty was an example which kept the morale high, in fact I can honestly say he didn’t have an enemy in the world.
His crew asked me to tender their deepest sympathies, and I am sure we all send them.
Please excuse such a short letter but I find it hard to believe I have lost the best pal in the world.
I know by the time this letter reaches you a few months will have elapsed and I hope time will be the great healer.
I will bring this letter to close and please accept my deepest sympathy – the loss of your son.
Yours sincerely
E A Johnson

Johno originally did not enjoy flying, but enjoyed it so much during the war that he became a flight steward for B.O.A.C.

2/10/1946 S/L K.M. Edgar 169617
Officer’s Mess,
A.R.S., R.A.F.
India Command
Dear Mr De Garis
I received your letter this week, and with it a letter from my moderator at home.
I remember clearly the circumstances of Lew’s death. As you will remember he was regarded by the squadron as a boy of high example and leadership.
It was because he was such that we lost him. His crew was one of the most experienced in the squadron; and Lew was not only a good lad, but a fine navigator. He had quite a lot of flying hours done in Iceland and was therefore a seasoned flier.
As you probably know conditions of flying were pretty arduous. Not only were the long trips fatiguing, but being near the Magnetic Pole it demanded first class resourceful navigation in case of instrument failure due to magnetic disturbances. Ice and low cloud was another source of danger, these being often unpredictable. Added to these the coastline, with its high craggy mountains made the navigation of an aircraft anything but safe and easy.
Lew’s crew were well aware of looking after themselves, but new crews were sometimes lost on their first or second trip out because of their lack of experience. The first three trips took the toll generally speaking.
Just prior to Lew’s death, a new crew joined us, and Lew, like the grand boy he was, volunteered to go up with them for the first trip. There was nothing really dangerous about the job, for the crew was all right, but being new could have benefited from the wisdom of an “old hand”. It meant a lot to these boys to have someone like Lew to shepherd them on a local trip, and point out snags of climate and navigation. It was the sort of thing Lew would do… When the crash occurred they were not very long away from the aerodrome, and it was due to fault of the crew. It was one of those unaccountable things which do occur when to all appearances the aircraft is absolutely sound.
May I just add this. The servicing of the aircraft was magnificent, and no one was more broken hearted than the crew who were responsible for the maintenance of the aircraft. I cannot speak too highly of the grand work done by ground crews under bitter conditions, and they regard the safety of their crew who flew their aeroplane as their own personal responsibility. As I say, it was just one of those mysterious occurrences
The thing to remember is that Lew’s sacrifice was one for the safety of his weaker brother, for comrades who needed his kindly help. He was that kind of a boy; and we are better for his magnificent example of brotherly love in a world which is suffering so much from man’s inhumanity to man.
Please don’t think that I am preaching, but to any sane person Lew’s example is more moving than airy speeches or sermons. I think of the words Jesus:

“In as much as ye did unto one of these little ones, ye did it unto me!”

Time heals the deepest hurt, but surely the memory of Lew’s must have a sweeter fragrance which helps us more than it can ever hurt. I can only say that it can only help you who loved him so well, as much as it helps me.
I spent fourteen months in Iceland without leave and was sorry to leave the boys, but glad too to see Erin’s green shores. Casualties were not too heavy except for a bad spell before the close of war. The queer thing was that it was usually the first three trips, (which one can understand) or the last three trips which were the danger periods.
Johnston I knew well, and we were quite good friends. I know that most of his pals were lost, but he was a cheery soul and came out all right.
I should love to call and see you in Australia if ever I get within shooting range, but just now I am wondering how many weary (I confess it!) months I will remain in India before I can start life again in “civvy street”. The old crowd are gone, and I often wonder if I were wise to volunteer for this, my third overseas tour. Anyhow I’m lucky enough to be still batting and hope to meet some of the Belfast members of my favourite squadron, Lewis’, when I return home.
With sincerest good wishes,
Yours as ever,
Kenneth Edgars S/L

The Lewis De Garis Memorial Gates that were donated to the Naracoorte High School were officially ‘given over’ to the school on the day of the opening of the Naracoorte High School in September 1955.

Naracoorte Herald
Wednesday March 7 2018
The gates of Naracoorte High School are currently receiving a much needed facelift and will be officially opened on Sunday March 18th.
The construction has not changed since its erection in September 1955, over 63 years ago. The original gates were built by Mr. C. Pomery & Son of Naracoorte.
Named the “DeGaris Memorial Gates”, Mr. A.C. DeGaris, who was presiding as Chairman of The High School Council from 1944-1957, presented the gates to the School in honour of his son Lewis, an old scholar who was killed in action during World War II in Iceland.
The new structure has been designed by architect Brett Julian, who utilised locally sourced Wrattonbully stonework. The original gates will be inserted into the new erection between the stone plinths.
Father Wayne Corker will officiate the ceremony which will commence at 1.30pm and Mr. Bob DeGaris, who is 90 years young, and his family will be attending the celebration to regale their stories and provide a showcase of their family history..