| Surname: | Lewis |
| Initials: | L |
| Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Army Number: | P/2781 |
| Notes: | MFP. Awarded the Victory and War Medals. First served abroad (1) France, 2/7/1916. He enlisted in the MFP 17/11/15, age 27.4 years, occupation Police Constable, born Presteigne, Radnorshire, Wales, next of Kin mother Church Street, Presteigne, home address 5 Fireman's Cottages, Charlcote Road, Worthing and later Central Police Station, Worthing and Police Station Midhurst. 3/7/16 Rouen, 21/6/17 Montreuil, 19/7/19 Rouen, 26/9/19 class Z reserve. 31/5/1919 he married Dorothy Maud bold, Spinster at the Parish Church, Lancing, address: 4 Blenheim Cottage, South Lancing, Sussex. 30/8/1919 awarded the sum of £2 on the Crystal Palace Demobilization Roll. Leonard Lewis. Extract from the Brecon County Times 1 June 1916. Glasbury. Home on Leave - Lance Corporal Leonard Lewis, Military Foot Police, a former captain of bell ringers at St. Peters' church and later a member of the Sussex Constabulary, has been home on short leave (Previous to his going to the front) looking very fit Extract from the Worthing Gazette 13 October 1948. DEATH OF EX-SUPERINTENDENT L. LEWIS, WELL KNOWN POLICE OFFICER. Ex-Superintendent Leonard Lewis, one of the best known figures in the West Sussex Police Force, of 17, Rectory Gardens died suddenly this morning. Born at Presteigne, Radnorshire, in February 1888, Mr Lewis started life as an apprentice to the grocery trade. he joined the West Sussed Constabulary on April 7th 1913, when he headquarters was at Horsham. After six weeks training he was posted to Worthing After three months he was put on plain clothes duty. In 1915 he went to France and served with the Military Foot Police on the detective staff until August 1919. RETURNED TO WORTHING. He rejoined the West Sussex Constabulary in September 1919, and was posted to Midhurst where he remained for two years. In September, 1921 he was promoted Sergeant and returned to Worthing for plain clothes duty. On May 2nd, 1931, he was promoted Inspector and on April 25th, 1936 to Superintendent, being transferred to Shoreham in charge of the Steyning division. In November 1937, on the retirement of Superintendent S C Holmes, he was returned to Worthing and was in charge of the division until his retirement in September 1945. CONFIDENTIAL INQUIRY. In addition to the General Service and Victory Medals he also held the King George V Jubilee Medal and King George VI, Coronation Medal. In 1927 he was entrusted with a confidential inquiry for the Home Secretary (Sir William Joynson Hicks) in which he was successful. In the same year he went to France to execute and extradition warrant for a well-known personality in the town. One of his biggest coups was when the Post Office at High Salvington was broken into and thieves carried off the safe. Making inquiries he went to London and arrested six men, five for theft and one for receiving. They were all convicted. Bell ringing was on of Mr Lewis' favourite hobbies and he and he was a ringer at Goring Church for some years. When he left Glasbury-on-Wye in 1913 to come to West Sussex he was a member of a team which rang a peal of 5,0000 changes as a farewell gesture to himself and which he conducted. |