A Collection of Medals to the 42nd Highlanders and 73rd Foot (Black Watch)

Three: Sergeant R. F. Newton, 2nd Battalion, Royal Highlanders, killed in action during the attack on Hanna, 21 January 1916

1914-15 Star (S-10207. L-Cpl. R. F. Newton, R. Highrs.); British War and Victory Medals (S-10207 A. Sjt. R. F. Newton. R. HIghrs.) generally good very fine (3) £70-90

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the 42nd Highlanders and 73rd Foot (Black Watch).

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Richard Frederick Newton was the only son of F. W. Newton of Beech Lodge, Fleet, and was born in January 1891. He was educated at University School, Hastings and ‘enlisted in the 9th Reserve Cavalry, 3rd Hussars; was gazetted Temp. 2nd Lieut. 9th Yorkshire Regt. 21 Sept. following, but refused a commission, not wishing to leave his friends in the cavalry; joined the 2nd Black Watch in June, 1915, when the Reserve Cavalry was disbanded; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from the following month; took part in the Battle of Loos in Sept., when he received two stripes; proceeded to Mesopotamia in Dec., being promoted Sergt. after the fighting there on 7 Jan. 1916; took part in the actions on the 8th, 13th, 14th and 15th; was wounded in the hand on the 21st, afterwards being reported as wounded and missing, and is now assumed to have been killed in action on that date, while on his way back to the Field Dressing Station.

A comrade wrote, after the Battle of Loos: ‘On 25 Sept. last, after the 2nd Black Watch had captured five lines of German trenches, it was discovered that the battalion attacking on their right and left had been compelled to retire. The consequence of this was that the Black Watch were attack on both flanks, and to avoid being taken prisoners, had to fight their way back over the ground they had won. When they commenced to retire, Capt. Dennison [A. C. Denison] and four men collected a number of bombs and held the ground whilst the remainder of the battalion got away, and so prevented an attack from the rear. After holding on until the last moment possible, this bombing party commenced to retire, and when doing so Capt. Dennison was killed, and although every effort was made to get his body back to the British lines, he had eventually to be left. The remainder of the party all got back, and the affair coming to the ears of another officer; the men were all recommended for promotion, and Capt. Dennison was awarded the V.C. One of the bombing party was your son Dick, and accordingly he along with the other three earned his first promotion on the field.’ (De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour, refers)

Sergeant Newton was killed in action during the attack on Hanna, 21 January 1916. He is commemorated on the Basra Memorial, Iraq.

Sold with copied research, including small photographic image of recipient.