The GWR has no record of Lewis on its Rolls of Honour or War memorials, and it may be that he joined up without the company's agreement, and thus lost his post and pension rights.

By September 1918 he was 23 years old, and a lance-corporal in the 6th Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment, British Army during the same war when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

On 18 September 1918 at Rossnoy, near Lempire, France, Lance-Corporal Lewis was in command of a section on the right of the attacking line, held up by intense machine-gun fire.

It was then agreed by the children of Frank that as he still had a brother, alive, he could hold the medal for his remaining days and then it was to be placed in a museum, either the regimental or local Hereford.

At about the same time the modern Great Western Railway named one of its new InterCity bi-mode trains after Allan Lewis, recognizing him despite the predecessor company having not done so.