Raymond Lewis was a waiter, living in Albert St. East Melbourne when he enlisted on 23 July, 1917. He was a Tasmanian by birth, his father John Lewis living at 269 Murray St., Hobart, with his wife Sarah, nee O'Brien. They had at least four other children: William George (1891), John Francis (1894), Victoria Irene (1898) and Lilian Priscilla (1901). Raymond was just over 21, with fair hair, blue eyes and around 5' 5" tall. He began his training with other volunteers at Broadmeadows, attached to the 25 Reinforcements for the 8th Battalion. On 22 November, 1917, they embarked on HMAT 'Nestor', disembarking at Suez, then Taranto, before finsihing the journey at Southampton, England on 5-9 January,  1918. From here, Raymond Lewis was sent to Sutton Very for final traning before heading to the Western Front.

He marched in to the 2nd Training Battalion, Sutton Veny on 13 January, 1918, but only two weeks later was sick and admitted to the Group Clearing Hospital and then to the Military Hospital at Sutton Veny with influenza. On 3 February, he was released and back with the 2nd Training Battalion,

However, a medical examination on 16 August, 1918,  showed that he had a flat right foot, making him unsuitable for further military service. On 6 June, having been delcared unfit, he was returned to Australia for discharge.