Lewis S. AVERY,

241800, Private. b. 1888, Stanningley, Leeds d. Thu. 10th Oct. 1918 (aged 30).

Coming from a military family, Lewis had not moved to Clayton until he was in his teens. Both his father and brother were in the army, his father being an ‘Old Contemptible’ who was sent out at the very start of the war in August 1914. Soldiers referred to the surviving members of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) affectionately as this because of the amount of time they had spent in the trenches throughout the Great War and Sergeant H. Avery survived for over four years under these conditions – well and truly earning the title of an ‘Old Contemptible’!

His son joined the 10th Battalion of the (Prince of Wales Own) West Yorkshire Regiment in 1915, leaving his home at 9, Back Fold, Clayton behind him and after training was sent to France, where one night after a raid on a trench he failed to return. He was posted as missing in action (M.I.A). and later, presumed killed in action. At the end of the conflict his body was found and buried, and at last his family could finally know his last resting place. Lewis is buried at Montay-Neuvilly Road Cemetery, Montay, France.

Lewis is also commemorated on the Queensbury war memorial:

Lewis was born in Stanningley, Leeds and his place of residence at time of enlistment was Clayton, Bradford.  The CWGC records show that he was the son of Mr. H. Avery, of 54, Scarlet Heights, Queensbury, it is known that his mother was named Sarah.

Both Lewis’s father and brother served in the Army and his father was part of the original British Expeditionary Force (BEF) sent out to France in 1914, Sergeant H Avery is believed to have served throughout the war and returned home.

Serving in the 10th  Battalion. West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Own) Lewis was killed in action on 10th October 1918.  He is buried at MONTAY-NEUVILLY ROAD CEMETERY, MONTAY (I. G. 5)

On the 10th October, the battalion moved up to continue the attack in an area East of Chaulery.  At 05:20hrs they left the start line and encountered no enemy resistance during the first two stages of the attack, upon reaching their third objective they came under artillery fire, but they continued, capturing two field guns on their way to their fifth objective which they reached by 07:55hrs.

At 15:00hrs orders were received to attack the village of Neuvilly and adjacent high ground, this attack continued until 19:00hrs.  The battalion casualties for 10th-13th October were 1 officer killed, 6 wounded, 16 other ranks killed, 27 missing and 125 wounded.