Jock Lewes

Who was Jock Lewes?

Lieutenant John Steel Lewes was a British Army officer prominent during World War II. He invented an explosive device, the eponymous Lewes bomb, and was the founding principal training officer of the Special Air Service. Its founding commander, David Stirling said later of Lewes: "Jock could far more genuinely claim to be founder of the SAS than I."

Lewes was born in Calcutta to a mother from Sydney, Australia and a British father. He grew up in Sydney and attended The King's School, Parramatta.

He attended at Christ Church College, Oxford. Lewes was president of the Oxford University Boat Club 1936–37, but gave up his place in the 1937 Blue boat which ended up winning the 1937 University Boat Race, ending a 15 year Cambridge winning streak.

Lewes was first commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, University Candidate, General List in 1935, whilst a student at Oxford. After graduation he transferred to a Territorial Army unit, 1st Battalion, the Tower Hamlets Rifles, Rifle Brigade before joining the Welsh Guards.