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To destroy Axis vehicles, members of the SAS surreptitiously attached small explosive charges. Lewes noticed the respective weaknesses of conventional blast and incendiaries, as well as their failure to destroy vehicles in some cases. He improvised a new, combined charge out of plastic explosive,
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raid on Axis airfields in Libya. As the raiders returned to Allied lines, their vehicles were repeatedly attacked by
Italian and German aircraft. While returning fire on 30 December, near "
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At the time of his death, Lewes was engaged to marry Mirren
Barford, an Oxford undergraduate. Their love letters were collected and published by Barford's son in 1995.
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232:, said later of Lewes, "Jock could far more genuinely claim to be founder of the SAS than I." Lewes also invented an explosive device for use by the SAS, the
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as a university candidate on 5 July 1935, while a student at Oxford. At the outbreak of the Second World War, he was briefly transferred to a
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Arthur Harold Lewes, and an
Australian mother, Elsie Steel Lewes. The family moved to Australia and Lewes grew up at
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299:. During 1937 he voluntarily gave up his place in the Oxford Blue boat crew, to assist it in winning that year's
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671:"SAS: Rogue Heroes review – is the follow up to Peaky Blinders fun? Does Arthur Shelby like a drink?"
626:"SAS founder was 'dazzled' by Third Reich and even fell in love with NAZI socialite in run-up to WW2"
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to form a unit dedicated to raiding missions against the lines of communication of Axis forces in
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391:-sized group was at first officially known as "L" Detachment, Special Air Service Brigade.
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diesel and thermite. The Lewes bomb was used throughout the Second World War.
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557:"Commonwealth War Graves Commission – casualty details, John Steel Lewes"
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round and died at the scene of the attack. He is commemorated on the
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790:"Family of SAS pioneer to travel to Libya to find soldier's grave"
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A younger brother, David Steel Lewes, was later prominent as a
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in 1938, was briefly an admirer of Hitler and the Nazi state.
776:
SAS Zero Hour: The Secret
Origins of the Special Air Service
778:. Barnsley, S. Yorks.: Pen & Sword Books. p. 204.
375:
In 1941, Lewes was in a group of volunteers assembled by
224:. He was the founding principal training officer of the
753:. New York: Crown Publishing Group. pp. 25–28.
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In late
December 1941, Lewes was involved in an SAS/
259:(at the time a fellow officer in the Welsh Guards).
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253:Lieutenant Jock Lewes, co-founder of the SAS, 1940
905:People educated at The King's School, Parramatta
287:Lewes travelled to the United Kingdom to attend
724:(Supplement). 15 September 1939. p. 6338.
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433:
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410:), Lewes was reportedly hit in the thigh by a
885:British Army personnel killed in World War II
8:
738:(Supplement). 27 October 1939. p. 7254.
526:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
216:(21 December 1913 – 30 December 1941) was a
20:
158:L Detachment, Special Air Service Brigade
827:Joy Street: A Wartime Romance in Letters
646:Joy Street: A Wartime Romance in Letters
334:in the 2022 television historical drama
915:Deaths by airstrike during World War II
523:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
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368:on 2 September 1939 before joining the
669:Nicholson, Rebecca (30 October 2022).
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509:
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295:. In 1936–37, he was president of the
291:, from September 1933, where he read
7:
900:Australian people of British descent
890:British people of Australian descent
583:"SAS founder was a Nazi sympathiser"
387:and counterespionage purposes, this
930:Military personnel of British India
609:Royal College of Physicians, 2019,
895:Oxford University Boat Club rowers
561:Commonwealth War Graves Commission
293:philosophy, politics and economics
14:
455:Jock Lewes: Co-Founder of the SAS
624:Sophie Evans (6 February 2017).
489:(Bowral), 19 January 1945, p. 1.
324:medical officer during the war.
320:in the United Kingdom and was a
243:Early life, family and education
920:Military personnel from Kolkata
865:Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford
840:British Army Officers 1939–1945
517:"Lewes, John Steel (1913–1941)"
1:
910:People of the British Council
581:Hill, Amelia (23 July 2000).
452:Lewes, John (15 March 2001).
282:The King's School, Parramatta
220:officer prominent during the
880:Special Air Service officers
704:. 5 July 1935. p. 4345.
540:UK public library membership
280:. As a teenager he attended
501:(Bowral), 4 May 1937, p. 2.
297:Oxford University Boat Club
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307:and, before the events of
228:. Its founding commander,
514:McPherson, Fiona (2004).
360:unit, the 1st Battalion,
255:– a portrait painted by
749:Macintyre, Ben (2016).
400:Long Range Desert Group
214:John Steel "Jock" Lewes
178:Western Desert Campaign
875:Rifle Brigade officers
532:10.1093/ref:odnb/74291
442:, 11 January 1945, p3.
352:to the British Army's
261:
173:North African Campaign
925:British Army officers
870:Welsh Guards officers
289:Christ Church, Oxford
268:to a British father,
250:
118:Years of service
362:Tower Hamlets Rifles
301:University Boat Race
270:chartered accountant
16:British Army officer
825:Wise, Michael, ed.
464:Pen and Sword Books
330:He was depicted by
226:Special Air Service
818:Cowles, Virginia.
735:The London Gazette
721:The London Gazette
701:The London Gazette
385:military deception
264:Lewes was born in
262:
183:Operation Crusader
820:The Phantom Major
796:. 4 December 2011
760:978-1-101-90416-9
611:David Steel Lewes
538:(Subscription or
499:The Southern Mail
487:The Southern Mail
412:20 mm cannon
337:SAS: Rogue Heroes
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614:(31 March 2020).
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348:Lewes was first
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203:Alamein Memorial
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168:Second World War
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77:30 December 1941
57:21 December 1913
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406:" (El Gaus;
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381:North Africa
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370:Welsh Guards
354:General List
350:commissioned
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318:cardiologist
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286:
263:
257:Rex Whistler
252:
218:British Army
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164:Battles/wars
154:Welsh Guards
112:British Army
79:(1941-12-30)
18:
860:1941 deaths
855:1913 births
800:21 November
774:Tim Jones.
730:"No. 34719"
716:"No. 34685"
696:"No. 34177"
635:11 November
566:21 February
404:Marble Arch
332:Alfie Allen
39:Nickname(s)
849:Categories
813:References
680:31 October
542:required.)
237:Lewes bomb
211:Lieutenant
130:Lieutenant
98:Allegiance
53:1913-12-21
31:Birth name
25:Jock Lewes
440:Army News
234:eponymous
199:Memorials
121:1935–1941
88:Cyrenaica
460:Barnsley
266:Calcutta
106:Service/
60:Calcutta
594:2 March
389:platoon
189:†
84:El Gaus
757:
652:
536:
470:
383:. For
274:Bowral
185:
108:branch
64:Bengal
422:Notes
141:65419
802:2022
755:ISBN
682:2022
650:ISBN
637:2022
596:2017
568:2008
468:ISBN
146:Unit
126:Rank
74:Died
47:Born
42:Jock
528:doi
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51:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
