RICHARD (DICK) NEWMAN
REGIMENTAL NO. 25929
17 January 1896 – 18 May 1918
Richard (known as Dick to his family) NEWMAN was born in Leicester, England on 17 January 1896. He was the youngest son and eighth child of Richard and Sarah Ann (nee Shelton) Newman who had married at St Matthew’s Church, Leicester on 13 October 1878. The 1901 Census records the family of Richard senior, a bricklayer, and his wife Sarah Ann living at 21 Cottesmore Road, Leicester. Their children, all residing at the family home, were:
All the family, except Ruth who had died soon after the Census was taken in 1901, emigrated to New Zealand at various times.
By 1911 both the Richard Newman senior and Cayless families were living in Ohiro Road, Brooklyn. When Harry and family arrived in Wellington they also first lived in Brooklyn, in Reuben Street, before moving to Dannevirke in August 1912.
Soon after arriving in New Zealand in 1910 Richard junior (Dick) joined the Post & Telegraph Department in Wellington. He also joined the P & T Army Corps and served with them for the next 6 years. At some time he moved to Gisborne where his brother Harry who was a bricklayer was living with his family at 35 Disraeli Street. Dick lived with them and continued employment with the P&T, as a letter-carrier. Their brother Sidney also lived in Gisborne for a period.
In 1916 Dick turned 20 and was old enough to enlist and he completed his attestation papers at Trentham on 30 May. On enlistment Dick’s ‘apparent age’ was 20 years 4 months; he was 5 feet 8½ inches tall and weighed 9 stone eleven pounds. He had fair complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. His religious profession was Church of England. Dick’s medical examination showed him to have good eyesight, normal hearing and colour vision and all other aspects of the medical examination were good.
Dick was given the regimental number 25929 in E Company of the 17th Rifles with the New Zealand Rifle Brigade. He went into training at Featherston Camp and while there on 19 July 1916 he was admitted to hospital with ‘inoculation shock’ after being inoculated against typhoid fever. He was discharged from hospital a day later. He was again inoculated on 20th and 29th September and vaccinated on 10th October without any adverse reaction. Training continued at Trentham where on 28 August 1916 Dick was charged with and admonished for ‘wilfully defacing range property’ On completion of his training at Trentham, Dick embarked for England on transport number 64 aboard the “Devon” leaving New Zealand on 25 September. The ship arrived at Devonport on 21 November 1916 and he was immediately marched to Sling Camp on Salisbury Plains for more training as a rifleman in the 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade.
Dick completed his training on 8 January 1917 when he left for France arriving at Etaples the next day. On the 10th February he joined the 1st Battalion 3rd NZ Rifle Brigade and was posted to ‘B’ Company. He was in the field until 7 April when he was sent for treatment of scabies, a contagious skin infection caused by a parasitic mite, and hospitalised for three weeks, first with the No.3 New Zealand Field Ambulance and then with No. 4 Stationary Hospital. Dick was in hospital until 24 April when he rejoined his unit. Only two months later, on 16 June, (probably in the area of Messines) he was wounded and admitted to the Field Ambulance with gunshot wounds to his right shoulder. By 30 July 1917 he had recovered sufficiently to be assigned to the General Base Depot (GBD) where he stayed until 29 September 1917. The GBD was the distribution unit which received reinforcements and passed them to the units which needed them. Presumably by then it had become clear that he was no longer fit enough for service in the front line, but was deemed fit enough to remain in France, as he was assigned to the Divisional Employment Company (DEC). The DEC was a Labour Corps unit (there was one in each division) which looked after laundries, baths, cinemas, the concert party, and basic housekeeping within the division. At times DEC men who were fit enough might be used in the front line as soldiers when urgent reinforcements were needed.
Dick carried on throughout 1917, finally being given respite from the field from 12 January 1918 to 2 February 1918 when he went on leave.
The second battle of the Somme came to an end around 4 April 1918 with both the Allied army and the German army largely exhausted. For the next few months there were skirmishing raids with both armies searching for opportunities. This period was known as holding the line along the Ancre. Early in May 1918 the NZ Division occupied the front east of Hebuterne which is due west of Bapaume and south west of Arras. The divisional headquarters were at Colincamps which is south west of Hebuterne but quite close by. There was not much depth to the front line so there was much digging of trenches and preparation of defensive positions behind the front line by labour and reserve battalions which may have included Dick’s group. The German’s were heavily shelling reserve positions and there were frequent air raids. For example the NZ Divisional headquarters was hit in early April and the NZ Brigadier and a number of senior officers were killed.
Finally, on 17 May 1918 Dick was seriously wounded, apparently by a bomb. He was admitted to the No.3 NZ Field Ambulance and then transferred to No.3 Canadian Stationary Hospital in Doullens, located within the Citadel on the hill above Doullens. Doullens is located 30 km north of Amiens and 35 miles south of Arras, and is a pivotal point on the Somme. The Canadian Hospital was quite a large hospital capable of handling 1000 patients and if under pressure could cope with another 800 patients according to their field diary. On the day of Richard’s admission there were 174 admissions and 19 discharges.
Dick died the day after his admission, on 18 May 1918, aged just 22. He was buried at the Doullens Communal Cemetery on the outskirts of the town. Initially burials were in an extension to the communal (city or town cemetery) but eventually a second extension had to be started, and Dick is one of 374 Commonwealth burials, and 87 German war graves of the First World War. Dick is in grave number I.B.17.
Descendants of the Newman family were able to visit his grave in 2012 and took a photo of his headstone. It had recently been replaced as part of CWG’s maintenance programme, and was the only new headstone in the immediate vicinity
Dick was entitled to the Memorial Plaque and Scroll which were sent to his mother in 1921. His service medals were sent to his father in 1923.
One of Dick’s brothers, Sidney, also enlisted, but was deemed not fit for active service overseas after suffering an accident while in training. He later served as a guard on Somes Island in Wellington Harbour, and joined the New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps in 1919 as an artificer (a skilled mechanic).
Judging by the many newspaper obituaries which were published for several years after Dick’s death, he was a well-loved and liked man. In the Evening Post of 25 May 1918 the Roll of Honour had five notices from his parents and siblings in Wellington while his brother Harry and wife placed a separate one in the Poverty Bay Herald, 24 May 1918. In 1919 and 1920 there were 6 notices in the Evening Post; 1921 had only 2, but one of them was signed by a mystery person, E.K. who had also inserted a notice in 1919 and 1920; in 1923 and 1931 there was only 1 notice inserted by his mother, father, sisters and brothers and all show he was greatly missed. The following are those from 1918.
Evening Post, 25 May 1918, p.1
NEWMAN – On the 18th May, 1918, died of wounds in France, Rifleman Richard Newman, 17th Reinforcements, beloved youngest son of Mr and Mrs Newman, 22, Aro-street. Deeply regretted. His duty nobly done.
NEWMAN – On the 18th May, 1918, died of wounds in France, Rifleman Richard (Dick) Newman, 17th Reinforcements, beloved brother of Alf and Ada Newman, 16, Harrison-street, Brooklyn; aged 22 years. Nobly done.
NEWMAN - On the 18th May, 1918, died of wounds in France, Rifleman Richard Newman, 17th Reinforcements, beloved brother of Ethel and Fred Bennett, Brooklyn. His duty done.
NEWMAN – Died of wounds in France, on the 18th May, 1918, beloved brother of Annie and Will Cayless, Brooklyn. Duty nobly done.
NEWMAN – On the 18th May, 1918, in France, died of wounds, Richard Newman, of the 17th New Zealand Reinforcements, the dearly beloved brother of Rose and Albert Pell, of Karori. His duty nobly done.
Poverty Bay Herald, 24 May 1918, p.2
NEWMAN – Rifleman Richard Newman, beloved youngest son of Richard and Sarah Newman of Wellington; died of wounds. Inserted by his brother and sister-in-law, Mr and Mrs T.H. Newman.
Richard and Sarah Ann were still living at 5 Ohiro Road, Brooklyn in 1938 when they celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary. Richard died at the age of 82 on 3 August 1939 and was cremated. Sarah Ann died at the age of 86 on 10 June 1941 and was buried in the same plot at Karori Cemetery where their daughter-in-law, Ada, wife of Alfred, had been laid to rest in 1922. Alfred finally joined Ada in 1967, 55 years after her death. The plaque on the grave names Ada, Alfred, and their son Richard who died 4 September 1942 aged 24 while serving with the Royal New Zealand Air Force 75th R.A.F. Squadron. Richard is buried in Germany. Sarah is also named.
Research conducted by Ann Walker, with support and contributions from Linda and Colin Hollway, and Patricia and Brian Dungan. Linda and Patricia are granddaughters of Sidney Newman.
REGIMENTAL NO. 25929
17 January 1896 – 18 May 1918
Richard (known as Dick to his family) NEWMAN was born in Leicester, England on 17 January 1896. He was the youngest son and eighth child of Richard and Sarah Ann (nee Shelton) Newman who had married at St Matthew’s Church, Leicester on 13 October 1878. The 1901 Census records the family of Richard senior, a bricklayer, and his wife Sarah Ann living at 21 Cottesmore Road, Leicester. Their children, all residing at the family home, were:
- Annie Elizabeth (20)
- Alfred (18)
- Thomas Henry (Harry) (15)
- Ruth Castledine (14)
- Sidney/Sydney (12)
- Ethel (9)
- Rosa Della (6)
- Richard (Dick) (5)
- Mabel (3 months) – granddaughter.
All the family, except Ruth who had died soon after the Census was taken in 1901, emigrated to New Zealand at various times.
- First was their eldest, Annie, who in 1903 had married William Cayless at Leicester. William, a boot trimmer, emigrated to New Zealand on the “Suffolk” in 1906, Annie and son Eugene joining him later on the “Corinthic” which sailed from London on 12 December 1907.
- Two and a half years later, on 26 June 1909, Richard senior sailed alone on the “Corinthic” from London to Wellington. Sarah Ann with her two youngest children Rosa Della and Richard, and her granddaughter Mabel, left London on the “Arawa” on 10 December 1909 to join Richard senior in Wellington.
- Son Alfred, with wife Ada and daughter Ada Ethel were next when they sailed from London to Wellington on the “Tongariro” on 22 December 1910.
- Ethel married Frederick Bennett at Leicester in 1910 and they, together with baby daughter Constance, departed from Liverpool for Wellington on the “Somerset” 21 November 1911.
- No records have been found for Sidney’s travel to New Zealand, but his descendants believe it was around 1911. In 1915 he married Lily Browning at Wellington. Although Sidney attempted to sign up in June 1916 he was discharged as “medically unfit for active service, although fit for employment in civil life” (as recorded in his military personnel file at National Archives Wellington). After the war he became a guard at the internment camp on Somes Island.
- Thomas Henry (Harry), his wife Florence and children Florence and Frank appear to have been last to emigrate, departing from London on the “Mamari” 12 December 1911 bound for Auckland.
By 1911 both the Richard Newman senior and Cayless families were living in Ohiro Road, Brooklyn. When Harry and family arrived in Wellington they also first lived in Brooklyn, in Reuben Street, before moving to Dannevirke in August 1912.
Soon after arriving in New Zealand in 1910 Richard junior (Dick) joined the Post & Telegraph Department in Wellington. He also joined the P & T Army Corps and served with them for the next 6 years. At some time he moved to Gisborne where his brother Harry who was a bricklayer was living with his family at 35 Disraeli Street. Dick lived with them and continued employment with the P&T, as a letter-carrier. Their brother Sidney also lived in Gisborne for a period.
In 1916 Dick turned 20 and was old enough to enlist and he completed his attestation papers at Trentham on 30 May. On enlistment Dick’s ‘apparent age’ was 20 years 4 months; he was 5 feet 8½ inches tall and weighed 9 stone eleven pounds. He had fair complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. His religious profession was Church of England. Dick’s medical examination showed him to have good eyesight, normal hearing and colour vision and all other aspects of the medical examination were good.
Dick was given the regimental number 25929 in E Company of the 17th Rifles with the New Zealand Rifle Brigade. He went into training at Featherston Camp and while there on 19 July 1916 he was admitted to hospital with ‘inoculation shock’ after being inoculated against typhoid fever. He was discharged from hospital a day later. He was again inoculated on 20th and 29th September and vaccinated on 10th October without any adverse reaction. Training continued at Trentham where on 28 August 1916 Dick was charged with and admonished for ‘wilfully defacing range property’ On completion of his training at Trentham, Dick embarked for England on transport number 64 aboard the “Devon” leaving New Zealand on 25 September. The ship arrived at Devonport on 21 November 1916 and he was immediately marched to Sling Camp on Salisbury Plains for more training as a rifleman in the 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade.
Dick completed his training on 8 January 1917 when he left for France arriving at Etaples the next day. On the 10th February he joined the 1st Battalion 3rd NZ Rifle Brigade and was posted to ‘B’ Company. He was in the field until 7 April when he was sent for treatment of scabies, a contagious skin infection caused by a parasitic mite, and hospitalised for three weeks, first with the No.3 New Zealand Field Ambulance and then with No. 4 Stationary Hospital. Dick was in hospital until 24 April when he rejoined his unit. Only two months later, on 16 June, (probably in the area of Messines) he was wounded and admitted to the Field Ambulance with gunshot wounds to his right shoulder. By 30 July 1917 he had recovered sufficiently to be assigned to the General Base Depot (GBD) where he stayed until 29 September 1917. The GBD was the distribution unit which received reinforcements and passed them to the units which needed them. Presumably by then it had become clear that he was no longer fit enough for service in the front line, but was deemed fit enough to remain in France, as he was assigned to the Divisional Employment Company (DEC). The DEC was a Labour Corps unit (there was one in each division) which looked after laundries, baths, cinemas, the concert party, and basic housekeeping within the division. At times DEC men who were fit enough might be used in the front line as soldiers when urgent reinforcements were needed.
Dick carried on throughout 1917, finally being given respite from the field from 12 January 1918 to 2 February 1918 when he went on leave.
The second battle of the Somme came to an end around 4 April 1918 with both the Allied army and the German army largely exhausted. For the next few months there were skirmishing raids with both armies searching for opportunities. This period was known as holding the line along the Ancre. Early in May 1918 the NZ Division occupied the front east of Hebuterne which is due west of Bapaume and south west of Arras. The divisional headquarters were at Colincamps which is south west of Hebuterne but quite close by. There was not much depth to the front line so there was much digging of trenches and preparation of defensive positions behind the front line by labour and reserve battalions which may have included Dick’s group. The German’s were heavily shelling reserve positions and there were frequent air raids. For example the NZ Divisional headquarters was hit in early April and the NZ Brigadier and a number of senior officers were killed.
Finally, on 17 May 1918 Dick was seriously wounded, apparently by a bomb. He was admitted to the No.3 NZ Field Ambulance and then transferred to No.3 Canadian Stationary Hospital in Doullens, located within the Citadel on the hill above Doullens. Doullens is located 30 km north of Amiens and 35 miles south of Arras, and is a pivotal point on the Somme. The Canadian Hospital was quite a large hospital capable of handling 1000 patients and if under pressure could cope with another 800 patients according to their field diary. On the day of Richard’s admission there were 174 admissions and 19 discharges.
Dick died the day after his admission, on 18 May 1918, aged just 22. He was buried at the Doullens Communal Cemetery on the outskirts of the town. Initially burials were in an extension to the communal (city or town cemetery) but eventually a second extension had to be started, and Dick is one of 374 Commonwealth burials, and 87 German war graves of the First World War. Dick is in grave number I.B.17.
Descendants of the Newman family were able to visit his grave in 2012 and took a photo of his headstone. It had recently been replaced as part of CWG’s maintenance programme, and was the only new headstone in the immediate vicinity
Dick was entitled to the Memorial Plaque and Scroll which were sent to his mother in 1921. His service medals were sent to his father in 1923.
One of Dick’s brothers, Sidney, also enlisted, but was deemed not fit for active service overseas after suffering an accident while in training. He later served as a guard on Somes Island in Wellington Harbour, and joined the New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps in 1919 as an artificer (a skilled mechanic).
Judging by the many newspaper obituaries which were published for several years after Dick’s death, he was a well-loved and liked man. In the Evening Post of 25 May 1918 the Roll of Honour had five notices from his parents and siblings in Wellington while his brother Harry and wife placed a separate one in the Poverty Bay Herald, 24 May 1918. In 1919 and 1920 there were 6 notices in the Evening Post; 1921 had only 2, but one of them was signed by a mystery person, E.K. who had also inserted a notice in 1919 and 1920; in 1923 and 1931 there was only 1 notice inserted by his mother, father, sisters and brothers and all show he was greatly missed. The following are those from 1918.
Evening Post, 25 May 1918, p.1
NEWMAN – On the 18th May, 1918, died of wounds in France, Rifleman Richard Newman, 17th Reinforcements, beloved youngest son of Mr and Mrs Newman, 22, Aro-street. Deeply regretted. His duty nobly done.
NEWMAN – On the 18th May, 1918, died of wounds in France, Rifleman Richard (Dick) Newman, 17th Reinforcements, beloved brother of Alf and Ada Newman, 16, Harrison-street, Brooklyn; aged 22 years. Nobly done.
NEWMAN - On the 18th May, 1918, died of wounds in France, Rifleman Richard Newman, 17th Reinforcements, beloved brother of Ethel and Fred Bennett, Brooklyn. His duty done.
NEWMAN – Died of wounds in France, on the 18th May, 1918, beloved brother of Annie and Will Cayless, Brooklyn. Duty nobly done.
NEWMAN – On the 18th May, 1918, in France, died of wounds, Richard Newman, of the 17th New Zealand Reinforcements, the dearly beloved brother of Rose and Albert Pell, of Karori. His duty nobly done.
Poverty Bay Herald, 24 May 1918, p.2
NEWMAN – Rifleman Richard Newman, beloved youngest son of Richard and Sarah Newman of Wellington; died of wounds. Inserted by his brother and sister-in-law, Mr and Mrs T.H. Newman.
Richard and Sarah Ann were still living at 5 Ohiro Road, Brooklyn in 1938 when they celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary. Richard died at the age of 82 on 3 August 1939 and was cremated. Sarah Ann died at the age of 86 on 10 June 1941 and was buried in the same plot at Karori Cemetery where their daughter-in-law, Ada, wife of Alfred, had been laid to rest in 1922. Alfred finally joined Ada in 1967, 55 years after her death. The plaque on the grave names Ada, Alfred, and their son Richard who died 4 September 1942 aged 24 while serving with the Royal New Zealand Air Force 75th R.A.F. Squadron. Richard is buried in Germany. Sarah is also named.
Research conducted by Ann Walker, with support and contributions from Linda and Colin Hollway, and Patricia and Brian Dungan. Linda and Patricia are granddaughters of Sidney Newman.