Lives of the First World War

Arthur Newman was the son of Charles and Annie Newman, of 52, Addison Rd., Guildford. The 1901 Census records the family residing at 81 Addison Road. In addition to Arthur age 5, there were three other boys, Cecil, age 17, a baker, Frederick age 14, a garden boy, and Harry age 10. There were also four sisters Grace, Daisy, Edith and Dorothy. Charles Newman was a "Jobbing Gardener". The Surrey Advertiser, 28th August 1915, reported that Private 3293 A.E. Newman 2/4th Queen's had been wounded at the Dardanelles. It printed a copy of the letter received by his parent's. "Wounded in the Leg - Pte Arthur Newman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Newman, 52 Addison Road, Guildford, in a letter received on Sunday, says:- "I have been wounded in the right leg just above the knee. The best of things was we only landed on Sunday night late and by Monday dinner time I had been wounded". Describing what things were like, he wrote:" They say it was hell in France, but it is worse out here'. His was the first company in the battalion and the regiment was the first in the division to go to the trenches." There are a lot of our chaps with me I have lost everything I have, even my right trouser leg!" It also appears from the letter that the battalion lost one man on the outward voyage through a fall. Before the war Pte Newman was employed in the bicycle workshops of the Halford Cycle Company in the High Street Guildford. Mr and Mrs Newman have five sons* and two son-in-laws in the services. Their sons are Corpl. Cecil Newman who is with the Army Veterinary Corps; Corpl. Fredk. Newman, RFA;Tpr. Harry Newman 3rd Dragoons and Pte. Arthur Newman who is 20 years of age of the 2/4th Queen's. One of the sons in law is in the Royal Engineers and the other at the Dardanelles." *(I think this is an error, and should read three sons and two sons in law, five in total) Another letter, from Pte Brown of Merrow, published in the same paper gave a vivid description of the same action. "There were shrapnel and bullets all over the place. What with our aeroplanes dropping bombs and warships firing the din was awful. You have no idea what it is like. A lot of the Queen's were hit before they had a chance to defend themselves. The Turkish snipers are fine shots. They paint themselves the colour of the landscape. We caught one who turned out to be a woman. She had 50 identity discs, which meant she had accounted for 50 of our chaps. There are about 20-30 Queen's in this hospital, which consists of little huts of four beds in each." Arthur's brother, Frederick, was killed almost exactly one year later, 28th August 1916 in France. In the newspaper report of his death, Surrey Advertiser 2nd September 1916, it mentions that his brother, Arthur Newman, "still suffers from the effects of a wound sustained twelve months ago in the Dardanelles". Arthur died in the City of London Hospital, Victoria Park, London, nearly 2 years later. He is buried in Guildford, Stoke Old Cemetery, Grave G. 372.

Created by: , Ian20107