Lewis Stanley Roope

A Corporal with 4th Bn., Lewis died on 28th of March 1918 at the age of 22.

Lewis was born at Lowestoft on 26 February 1896, a son of Joseph and Angetta Roope. In 1901 his family lived at 47 Queen's Road, Lowestoft. From 7 September 1903 Lewis, along with his brother Ernest, attended Saint Margaret's School. In 1911 his family were still living at 47 Queen's Road.

Lewis enlisted in the Army at Norwich. He joined the Royal Fusiliers. From 26 July 1916 he served in France with the 4th Battalion. The Battalion War Diary for 28 March 1918 has:

About 3 a.m. the Battalion was shelled out of billets. About 8.30 a.m. X Company ordered up in support to the Green Line and Headquarters was ordered up to support line of Green Line. About 9 a.m. Headquarters was established in trench near the Arras - Bapaume Road. About 9 a.m. Z Company under command of Captain A. J. Lord M.C., moved forward from Green Line to support line of first system and came under command of 1st Northumberland Fusiliers. At 9.40 X Company was ordered forward into Green Line to occupy position vacated by Z Company. By the time Z Company reached the support line of first system the enemy was attacking it heavily. The Brigades on both flanks of the 9th Brigade had given way - Captain Lord formed a left defensive flank for the 9th Brigade. The remainder of 1st Northumberland Fusiliers, 13th Kings and our Z Company held this line until about 5 p.m. When the line was no longer tenable they successfully withdrew through the Green Line and reorganized. The Green Line and Neuville Vitasse now became the front line. Before withdrawal through the Green Line one platoon of W had been ordered up on right flank of Battalion and a second platoon on left flank of Battalion. 
About 7 p.m. the enemy began to enter Neuville Vitasse - 76th Brigade had apparently withdrawn on our left flank leaving it unprotected. The remaining two platoons of W were then ordered up on left flank to try and fill the gaps between our Battalion and 76th Brigade. These two platoons were too late, because the enemy had already entered the village.  
Z Company although already having had a hard fight with the 1st Northumberland Fusiliers and 13th Kings and having covered the withdrawal of the remaining positions of these two battalions, was ordered to form a defensive flank west of Neuville Vitasse between our Battalion and 76th Brigade. This company formed the flank in a line of shell-holes and closed the gap made on our left by the withdrawal to the Green Line of 76th Brigade.
Casualties: 
Officers: One killed, four wounded
Other ranks: 10 killed, 73 wounded, 3 missing, 3 gassed.

Lewis was reported missing on 28 March and later it was presumed that he had been killed on that date. 

His brother Ernest was killed in 1917 whilst serving with the Suffolk Regiment and his brother Joseph was killed in an air raid in 1940.