From The Daily Telegraph 7 November.
Squadron Leader Reg Lewis, who has died aged 87, was forced to bail out of his aircraft when resupplying the French Resistance, which then helped him to evade capture and escape across the Pyrenees.
Lewis was the navigator of a very experienced crew, flying with No 138 (Special Duties) Squadron from Tempsford in Bedfordshire. The squadron's role was to drop supplies and SOE agents from converted Halifax bombers to ground parties in occupied Europe.
He and his crew had already completed 15 operations when, on February 7 1944, they were given the important task of resupplying the highly successful Resistance network in south-east France known as "Jockey". Organised by Francis Cammaerts, Jockey specialised in sabotaging trains and the railway infrastructure.
The weather forecast was not encouraging, but the crew - captained by 23-year-old Squadron Leader Tom Cooke, DFC, AFC, DFM - were told that they must drop an agent and a quantity of supplies "at all costs".
Conditions were indeed appalling, and Lewis's skills as a navigator were stretched to the limit as the aircraft was forced to descend and fly at very low level down the Rhône valley.
When they were forced to climb to avoid rising ground, the engines began to ice up before two of them caught fire owing to the increased strain. The SOE agent was ordered to bail out, and soon after the crew were forced to follow suit.
Lewis landed in deep snow on the side of a mountain. Eventually he found an isolated house, where a terrified woman gave him shelter. The next morning she dressed him in an old suit and arranged for him to be taken to a pharmacy near Valence, where he was reunited with three of the seven crew.
The fugitives were taken to a "safe house" in the mountains, where they remained for three weeks before boarding a train to a village near the Spanish frontier. There they joined a large party waiting to cross the Pyrenees.
After everyone had been issued with a small parcel of food, the party was led over the mountains by two guides. For six days and nights they trekked in freezing conditions, at one point having to traverse a pass at 10,000ft. Lewis was still wearing the old suit, and had no overcoat.
After finally reaching Spain, they hid in a barn, then - concealed beneath tarpaulins - they were driven to the British mission in Barcelona. With the help of false papers Lewis crossed into Gibraltar, from where he flew home at the end of April. All the members of his crew managed to evade capture and got back to England.
Lewis spent most of 1942 on bombing operations over Germany with No 15 Squadron. Flying the four-engine Stirling, he and his crew completed 30 operations at a time when only about 25 per cent of crews survived so many missions.
They were then due for a rest tour, but had formed such a strong team that when their captain offered the possibility of flying with a special duties squadron all of them volunteered. They were accepted, and arrived at Tempsford in September 1943.
Full obituary with photograph.
Squadron Leader Reg Lewis, who has died aged 87, was forced to bail out of his aircraft when resupplying the French Resistance, which then helped him to evade capture and escape across the Pyrenees.
Lewis was the navigator of a very experienced crew, flying with No 138 (Special Duties) Squadron from Tempsford in Bedfordshire. The squadron's role was to drop supplies and SOE agents from converted Halifax bombers to ground parties in occupied Europe.
He and his crew had already completed 15 operations when, on February 7 1944, they were given the important task of resupplying the highly successful Resistance network in south-east France known as "Jockey". Organised by Francis Cammaerts, Jockey specialised in sabotaging trains and the railway infrastructure.
The weather forecast was not encouraging, but the crew - captained by 23-year-old Squadron Leader Tom Cooke, DFC, AFC, DFM - were told that they must drop an agent and a quantity of supplies "at all costs".
Conditions were indeed appalling, and Lewis's skills as a navigator were stretched to the limit as the aircraft was forced to descend and fly at very low level down the Rhône valley.
When they were forced to climb to avoid rising ground, the engines began to ice up before two of them caught fire owing to the increased strain. The SOE agent was ordered to bail out, and soon after the crew were forced to follow suit.
Lewis landed in deep snow on the side of a mountain. Eventually he found an isolated house, where a terrified woman gave him shelter. The next morning she dressed him in an old suit and arranged for him to be taken to a pharmacy near Valence, where he was reunited with three of the seven crew.
The fugitives were taken to a "safe house" in the mountains, where they remained for three weeks before boarding a train to a village near the Spanish frontier. There they joined a large party waiting to cross the Pyrenees.
After everyone had been issued with a small parcel of food, the party was led over the mountains by two guides. For six days and nights they trekked in freezing conditions, at one point having to traverse a pass at 10,000ft. Lewis was still wearing the old suit, and had no overcoat.
After finally reaching Spain, they hid in a barn, then - concealed beneath tarpaulins - they were driven to the British mission in Barcelona. With the help of false papers Lewis crossed into Gibraltar, from where he flew home at the end of April. All the members of his crew managed to evade capture and got back to England.
Lewis spent most of 1942 on bombing operations over Germany with No 15 Squadron. Flying the four-engine Stirling, he and his crew completed 30 operations at a time when only about 25 per cent of crews survived so many missions.
They were then due for a rest tour, but had formed such a strong team that when their captain offered the possibility of flying with a special duties squadron all of them volunteered. They were accepted, and arrived at Tempsford in September 1943.
Full obituary with photograph.
