DICKY LEWIS QVRM

Richard Lewis was born in The Rhondda, South Wales in 1959. He attended the Crypt Grammar School in Gloucester and the Gloucester City College of Technology and initially trained as a Power Station design engineer. Lt Cdr Lewis joined the Navy in 1981, initially as an Engineering Officer before transferring to the Fleet Air Arm in 1984.

Following selection for Airborne Early Warning (AEW) Observer at 750 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS CULDROSE, he completed Operational Flying Training at 849 Naval Air Squadron HQ on the Sea King AEW Mk 2 in 1986 and was appointed to 849 A Flight for his first tour in HMS ILLUSTRIOUS.

After being selected as a Qualified Observer Instructor in 1989, he conducted an instructional appointment with 750 NAS at RNAS CULDROSE. In 1992 Lt Cdr Lewis was appointed back to the front line with 849 B Flt. During this period, he qualified as an Electronic Warfare Instructor (EWI) and served with 848 B Flt in HMS ARK ROYAL during the Bosnian conflict. In 1994 Lt Lewis was selected for a foreign exchange posting with the United States Navy at NAS NORFOLK, Virginia flying as a Naval Flight Officer Instructor and Mission Commander in the E2C Hawkeye.

On return to the UK in 1997, Lt Cdr Lewis completed his final instructional appointment with 750 NAS; leaving the Royal Navy on completion of his Medium Career Commission in October 97. In 1997 Lt Cdr Lewis joined the RNR and for the next nine years he continued to support the Royal Navy as a contact Flying Instructor training new entry Observers at 750 NAS. In 2006 Lt Cdr Lewis RNR joined Lockheed Martin UKIS as part of their future Naval Projects team and continued to support the RNR as an augmentee with the front line SKASaC squadrons on Operation CALASH in 2007 & 2008.

In 2008 Lt Cdr Lewis was mobilised back into the Royal Navy to conduct an Operational tour in Kandahar, Afghanistan. On his return Lt Cdr Lewis’s mobilised period was extended and he was appointed to RNAS CULDROSE as the Deputy Force Commander Sea King. In 2014 Lt Cdr Lewis was remobilised for a second operational tour as the N3 SO2 Air at the UKMCC in Bahrain. He then re-joined the Sea King Force and served as the Officer in Charge of the SKASaC Full Mission simulator (FMT) as well as an airborne instructor on 849 NAS until the Sea King Mk7 was retired.

In 2011 Lt Cdr Lewis was awarded the Queen’s Volunteer Reserves Medal at an Investiture at Buckingham Palace. In 2017 Lt Cdr Lewis was awarded the Robert Sandison Trophy for the development of tactics and federated simulator training.

Lt Cdr Lewis lives in Cornwall with his wife Janet. They have a son, Philip who is an Engineering Officer in the Merchant Navy and a daughter, Josephine. His interests include Motor Cycling, Cooking, Scuba Diving and Gardening.

Non Flying RNR appointments:

2004 - NATO CAOC 5 – Poggio Renatico Air Force base – Liaison Officer for Navy Exercise in Western Mediterranean (3 weeks). Responsibilities centred on generation and execution of Air Tasking Order (ATO) to support major Naval exercise.

2008 - Kandahar Air Force Base, Afghanistan – mobilised for 6 month period as Operations Officer in CJ3 Aviation. Responsible for generation and execution of ATO to provide support helicopters (military and civilian contract) for coalition operations.

2009 - Kandahar AFB, Kandahar Intelligence Fusion Cell (KIFC) – SKASaC liaison Officer responsible for generation and coordination of Sea King 7, SKASaC military tasking (2 months).

2010 – NATO JFTC , Bydgoszcz – Air Planning SME at MRX for Op Herrick work up (2 weeks).

2014 – UKMCC, Bahrai – N3 SO2 Air, aviation SME and air safety Officer.