King George VI conferring a Bar to Flying Officer A G Lewis’s Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for bravery,  in an awards ceremony at Duxford, Cambridgeshire. Lewis, a South African, had just returned to service with No. 249 Squadron RAF after being shot down and badly burnt on 28 September 1940, at which time, during the Battle of Britain, he had himself already shot down 18 enemy aircraft.

To read more about this remarkable South African hero, and how he became a ‘ace in a day’ on two occasions – follow this link to a full observation post article on him:

The South African pilot who earned ‘Ace in a Day’ – TWICE! Albert ‘Zulu’ Lewis DFC and Bar

The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, instituted for “an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy”.

Albert Gerald Lewis was from Kimberley, South Africa, and had the nickname “Zulu”.

Photo copyright Imperial War Museum collection.