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Cpt. Lewis Alexander McAfee
British Army 8th Batallion Rifle Brigade
from:West Kirby, Cheshire
(d.30th July 1915)
Although born in Northern Ireland, Lewis McAfee and his family moved to Edinburgh round about 1890. He was educated here and studied medicine at Cambridge before going onto further studies at the London Hospital in 1914. At this time, his parents moved to Cheshire. Lewis enlisted into the 8th Service Battalion, The Rifle Brigade, being commissioned later in 1914. In May 1915 he arrived in France, being part of "A" Coy.
As far as can be ascertained,on the 29th July the 8th Battalion moved from Ypres to relieve the 7th Battalion in the trenches of Hooge. Lewis had by this time been promoted to Captain following the death of Captain C.F Ballentine, Commander of "A" Coy who took a direct hit from a gas shell on July 2nd.
In the early hours of the 30th July, the Germans attacked, using flame-throwers for the first time. Captain Lewis Mcafee was not seen again and is listed as 'missing in action'. 134 men of his Battalion were killed or wounded and 132 were missing, presumed to have been engulfed in the horrific flames from the new German weapon. Perhaps he died alongside Private Richard Gribbin of the same Brigade whose details are also given on this website? His body was never found but his name remains for all to see on the Ypres Menin Gate Memorial and also at the Grange Hill War Memorial in the Wirral, Cheshire.
