JOHN NEWTON |
Private 13499
8th Bn., Leicestershire Regiment
Died on Tuesday, 31st August 1915, age 23
Buried
in Mondicourt Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais,
France, near NW corner
Son of Thomas and Fanny Jane
Newton, of Church Lane, Old Brinsley, Nottingham.
Soldiers Died in the Great War:
Christian name John; born Brinsley, Notts; enlisted Nottingham; residence
Brinsley, Notts. Died.
From the Eastwood and Kimberley Advertiser:
PTE JOHN NEWTON, 8th Leicesters
Son of the late Thos. And Mrs. Newton, of Church Lane, Brinsley, 23 years of age, who enlisted in the Leicesters exactly a year ago, and has been in France about five weeks, has, we regret to state, met his death by an unfortunate accident, which also sent his officer and five others to their doom. Mrs. Newton has received word that her son was carried to his last resting-place by the pals who accompanied him from Brinsley, and the following letters from the Captain and Chaplain of the Battalion have proved a source of great consolation to the distressed mother:-
August 31st, 1915
Dear Mrs Newton – I greatly regret having to inform you that your boy,
Pte. Newton, No. 13499, was killed instantaneously by a bursting bomb while
practising bomb-throwing. Although
I did not know him personally, seeing that I have only just taken over his
platoon, I can say that he was a read good soldier, always a willing worker,
and, moreover, always behaved like a man. He
will be greatly missed by his platoon. I
may add that his bombing officer was also killed, besides five other men being
killed outright and eight being wounded. May
I again offer my deepest sympathies to you and everyone concerned.
– I remain, yours truly JACK
C WRATISLAW, Capt., D Co., 8th Leicesters.
1st Sept., 1915
Dear Mr Newton – You will have heard by now, I fear, of the sad news of
your son’s accident. I felt you
would like me to write and tell you that everything possible was done for him.
You will also be comforted to hear that he passed to his rest
immediately, without any pain whatever. I
arrived on the scene of the accident with the doctor.
I was able to say a few prayers by his side, and commend his spirit to
God’s keeping. In the shortest
possible time ambulances arrived and carried him away to the Field Ambulance,
where he lay guarded last night. This
morning I buried him in a pretty little cemetery near here.
I am not allowed now to tell you where he lies, but at the end of the war
or sooner, if God spares me, I will let you know the exact spot. He had a soldier’ funeral; the Divisional General came many
miles to be present, and, of course, our Colonel was there. The pioneer detachment of our regiment have made him a very
nice cross, and every care will be taken of his grave by the French Authorities.
I have reported the exact spot to headquarters so that in any case after
the war you will be able to discover where in France he lies.
May I express to you the sympathy of the entire battalion. May he rest in peace and may God comfort you all at home and
bring you all together again in His own good time. I remember you in my prayers each morning and evening. –
Yours very truly, EDWARD P. WOOLLCOMBE, Chaplain, 8th Batt. Leic,
B.E.F.
John Newton's brother, Harry Newton of the Sherwood Foresters was taken prisoner of war.
BRINSLEY SOLDIER A PRISONER.
News of Private Harry Newton.
After several weeks of anxiety as to the safety of Pte. Harry Newton (Sherwoods), his mother, Mrs Thomas Newton, of Church Lane, Brinsley, received the news this (Friday) morning of her missing son, that he had been a prisoner of war in Germany since March 21st.
Pte. Newton was in the employ of C. E. Barker, Pork Butcher, of Eastwood, for eight years before joining the forces and much satisfaction will be felt by his many friends that news has come to hand from him.
Mrs. Newton has lost one son in the war and a son-in-law went down on the Good Hope.
Last updated 11/01/04.