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Samuel Written Newton (Regimental No 2155)
Samuel Written Newton was born at Minmi. He enlisted on 18 March
1916 and was placed as a Private in the 1
st
Pioneer Battalion
Reinforcements 2-5 (April to August 1916). At the completion of his
enlistment paper Sam, like all enlistments, made the following oath “I
hereby offer myself for enlistment in the Australian Imperial Force for
active service abroad……). Another part of the enlistment paper or
Attestation paper was a medical statement that included a soldier’s main
physical features and included in Sam’s paper was the fact that he had
copper (red) hair.
Sam was a single man who at 29 years old nominated his mother Emily
Newton as his next of kin. Emily’s maiden name was Ritten or Ritton
which may account for Sam’s middle name but spelt as Written on his
enlistment documents. Sam’s father was Samuel H Newton who was the
first fatality at Lambton B Colliery. He died of injuries in October 1913.
In the question involving apprenticeships Sam indicated he was an
apprentice barber but he still worked as a miner. When he embarked from
Sydney to Europe on 3rd May 1916 he said his home address was
Redhead NSW. The Pioneer Battalions were employed for engineering
and constructions tasks such as Army camps, trench construction and
railway track building.
Samuel was wounded by a shell blast to his thigh in Etaples France in
September 1917. He returned to England in early 1919 for repatriation.
He married Alice Jane Tolbrey in 1923. I am including any of our
soldier’s marriages to make it easier for those searching for descendants.
Samuel Written Newton had the distinction of enlisting in both World
Wars, World War 1 and World War 2. Sam is buried in Whitebridge
Cemetery.
The photograph of the three soldiers which was taken 11th November
1915 by the Darge Photographic Company is reproduced on the following
page. The soldier in the centre is Samuel Written Newton. Algernon
Darge was given permission to photograph soldiers who were heading off
to a great adventure and many soldiers wanted a picture in army gear.
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