Ordinary Seaman Samuel Snell Lewis
H.M. Trawler Argyllshire, Royal Naval Patrol Service sunk by S Boat, E34
who was Lost at Sea off Dunkirk on 01 June 1940 Age 27
Remembered with Honour Lowestoft Naval Memorial, Suffolk.
Samuel was the son of Thomas Snell Lewis and Elizabeth Martha Lewis of Tenby and the husband of Madge Vera Lewis (my Paternal Great Aunt) of Tenby. He served in the Royal Naval Patrol Service aboard HM Trawler Argyllshire. She had been hired in September 1939 and converted for anti-submarine duties. Joining the 11th Anti-Submarine Striking Group, she took part in Norwegian campaign in April and May 1940. She then took part in the evacuation of Dunkirk but was sunk by a torpedo from a German E-boat (E34) off Dunkirk on 1 June 1940. Samuel died aboard the ship that day. He was 27 years old and is commemorated on the Lowestoft Naval Memorial, Suffolk.
The Dunkirk Medal (Medaille Dunkerque 1940) is an unofficial commemorative medal created by the town of Dunkirk to commemorate the defence of the town and surrounding area during May and June 1940. The allocation of the award was managed by nationale des anciens combattants de Flandres-Dunkerque 1940, the French National Association of Veterans of the Fortified Sector of Flanders and Dunkirk (and later administrated by the now-disbanded Dunkirk Veterans Association).
Initiated in 1960, the award was initially awarded to only French service personnel (with approximately 30,000 medals issued). In 1970 it was also awarded to any Allied member involved in Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of Allied forces from the Dunkirk sector between 29 May and 3 June and those soldiers evacuated from the beaches. All British servicemen from the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Merchant Navy, and the civilian little ship volunteers were eligible to receive the award.