Lewis Newman (1882-1916)

Post date: Sep 10, 2015 3:59:18 PM

Lewis was born in 1882 to William and Phillis. Both were described as farm labourers in the 1891 census, when they were living at Canon Heath, in West Malling, near to the Fir Tree pub. The whole family described their birth place as Wateringbury, although living just outside. Lewis was one 6 children and with his sister Alice is shown as a scholar presumably at Wateringbury School as he is on the school memorial. In 1901 they were still living in Canon Heath at which time Lewis is described as a "Footman Domestic". By 1911 the family had moved to a 4 room cottage in Kent Street, Mereworth and only Lewis, now described as a "Farm Labourer", and a younger sister were still at home; to the questions put in this census of how long his parents had been married and how many children they had had the answers given were 42 years and 9 children (?6 ) all of which were surviving.

He enlisted (service number 2216) in the 7th Battalion of Royal West Kent Regiment on 8th September 1914 in Maidstone and his Army Form B2065 shows he was still single and puts his age as 30 years (rather than 32) and to the question about previous service responds " 3 years V. R.U.M.C. Maidstone". The battalion was formed in Maidstone at the time of his enlistment as part of the Second New Army (K2) and then moved to Purfleet to join the 55th Brigade of the 18th Division. George Pearce of Pelican Farm, killed on the last day of the Somme, was also in the same battalion from his enlistment in December 1915.

Lewis received promotion to Lance Corporal on 8th March 1915 just before the battalion moved to Colchester and then Codford in April 1915. He received another promotion to Corporal on 10th June 1915 before the battalion arrived in France (landing at Le Havre) late July 1915. He received his final promotion, to Sergeant, on 30th September 1915. The battalion was involved in various actions in 1916, The Battle of Albert, The Battle of Bazentin Ridge, The Battle of Delville Wood.

Lewis was killed in action at The Battle of Thiepval Ridge (part of the Somme offensive) on 27th September 1916 after 2 years and 20 days service.

Captain C.T. Atkinson's The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment 1914-1919 (published 1924) (pages 211 to 213) gives the following account of the 7th Battalion during the period around Newman's death.

The 7th Battalion had had an easy time since its hard fighting in July. Its stay on the Flanders front line had been uneventful. The trenches it had taken over from the New Zealanders near Bois Grenier were in excellent condition and the Germans opposite proved unaggressive. Casualties therefore were few, and thanks to the arrival of some large drafts-one of 138 joined the battalion just as it left the Somme and another of 102 men from the Suffolk Yeomanry, splendid fighting material, arrived early in September-with twenty new subalterns, the battalion was nearly up to strength again when it returned to the South. It rejoined the Fifth Army before the end of August, but nearly a month elapsed before it went into action again, and in this time it had three weeks of intensive battle-training at Puchevilliers, S.E. of Doullens. It cannot be too strongly emphasised that it was by the careful, systematic and definite training which which all ranks received in these periods out of line that units were made capable of returning to the attack after such heavy losses as those of the Eighteenth Division in July, and these periods must not be overlooked even if they must be but briefly passed by.

In the actual attack on Thiepval the 55th Brigade was in reserve and the 7th R.W.K. therefore spent the morning of September 26th in a position of readiness. Not till nearly 2 p.m. was it summoned up to Crucifix Corner³, the cross roads W. of Aveluy, and placed under the orders of the 54th Brigade who, aided by the 53rd, had taken most of Thiepval but were having great difficulty in completing the reduction of the position in the face of the desperate resistance of a stubborn and confident garrison. By 8.30 next morning, however, the task had been completed without the 7th being employed. The battalion had merely moved up to position closer to Thiepval, being heavily shelled while doing so and suffering 40 casualties from one single shell. Then on the 28th the indefatigable Eighteenth Division proceeded to attack the extremely strong Schwaben Redoubt² some 1,000 yards to the North of Thiepval. In this attack the 54th Brigade was on the left with the 53rd on its right. Here again a stubborn resistance was encountered, and about 11 a.m. D Company had to be put in, partly to assist in consolidating and partly to act as carriers. A little later Battalion Headquarters with C and three platoons of B , all that remained in hand, as several parties had been detached on various errands, moved up to Thiepval Chateau¹ under heavy shell-fire. This party remained in Thiepval all night and moved forward at 3.30 next morning [29th Sept] to relieve the troops who had captured the Southern and South-Western portions of the Schwaben Redoubt.

The following is a transcription of an extract from the War Diary (Army Form C. 2118) of the 7th Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment (original available at National Archives reference WO 95/2049/2) :

26th September 1916:

10.00 a.m. Lt. HUDSON, 1 platoon B Co & 6 mules sent to AUTHUILLE for tramway work.

12 noon Ordered to be prepared to move at an hour's notice after P.M.

1.15 p.m. Battalion ordered to move at 1.30 P.M.

1.45 p.m. Battalion move across country to CRUCIFIX CORNER (E. of AVELUY) leaving 1st. line transport and details at PT W8 central N.E. of BOUZINCOURT). Arrived in dug-outs between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. The battalion was at this time lent to 54th Inf. Bde. Parapet strength of Battn. 20 officers, 720 O.R.

27th September 1916:

3.45 a.m. Battalion moved into dug-outs further up; Hd. Qtrs.+ 'A' & 'B' coys at 'NORTHERN BLUFF', 'C' &'D' coys in west end of PAISLEY AVENUE. One shell caused 42 casualties in 'c' & 'd' Coys as they were passing the Northern Bluff.

Northern Bluff heavily shelled all day, causing 20 more casualties; it is considered that this was a most unsuitable place to crowd with troops; dug-outs for the most part unsafe.

Lewis, along with 72,000 others (including from Wateringbury: Frederick Adams, William Cowlard, George Datlen, Albert Herbert, Frederick Latter, William Butchers and George Pearce) with no known grave, is commemorated on Pier and Face 11C of the Thiepval Memorial, designed by Sir Edward Lutyens, and located on the D73 next to the village of Thiepval.

Postscript: a resident of East Peckham had contacted (December 2015) to say that he holds Lewis' 1914/15 medal and would like to have contact with any of Lewis' family. The medal was presented to Wateringbury School at a ceremony on 24th September 2016.

Notes:

1. Thiepval Chateau: was a major chateau of North France before WW1; a photo of some piles of bricks labelled remains of Thiepval Chateau 26-28 September 1916 exists (IWM Q1328);it was never rebuilt. Clearance of the remains of the village did not start for at least a decade after the war.

2. Schwaben Redoubt: was an oval-shaped German fortification, sited close to present D75 road overlooking Thiepval. It was captured by 30th September in the battle of Thiepval Ridge (26-30 September) by 18th division who had use of 4 tanks.

3. Crucifix Corner: on the crossroads close to Authuille Wood on the D50 road out of Aveluy. One of many places so called on Western Front. Also known as Quarry Dugouts as consisted of a series of shelters in the chalk cliff. Used for sheltering wounded on 1^st July and subsequently ammunition. See IWM Q 1096.