Ashtead War Memorials - WWI
Pte Cecil Newman
6th Bn, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
Cecil appears to have been the son of David Newman [born Plaxtol, Kent, ca 1869], a Gardener, and Harriet Ann (Annie) née Evans [born Wrotham, Kent, registered Malling 6/1873] whose marriage was registered at Malling 3/1894. His parents arrived in Ashtead before his birth was registered in Epsom 3/1899: during the years 1914-1918, the family lived at 13 Connaught Villas, Gladstone Road.
Assuming that he did not sign up before he reached the age of 18, he would not have volunteered for War Service until 1917 and was then assigned to 6th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). His unit was attached to 37th Brigade in the 12th (Eastern) Division for which engagements with the enemy are described at http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/12th-eastern-division/
“On the morning of 24 March 1918 the Division arrived in the area of Senlis, Warloy and Bouzincourt. A tiring and confusing day was to follow. That afternoon, 36 and 37 Brigades moved forward to the line Montauban-Bazentin le Grand, on the old 1916 Somme battlefield.
But events were moving fast as the enemy's offensive pressed forward. 35 Brigade after much marching took up a position covering Albert. 37 Brigade, in the area of Ovillers, covered the withdrawal of 47th (London) Division and then itself withdrew to Aveluy and, by 4.30am on 26 March, 36 Brigade had also taken up a position west of the Ancre. There were no prepared trenches or wire defences and natural lines, such as the railway embankment north of Albert, were taken up to await the expected German attack. There was no touch with other Divisions to the right but contact was made with 2nd Division on the left.
Soon after midday on 26 March, Germans were seen advancing down the slopes into the Ancre valley. They were also seen in large numbers to the south of Albert moving on Meaulte and Dernancourt and by 7pm Albert itself was full of them. The 7/Suffolks had to withdraw through the ruined town to west of the railway line.
On the northern side too, it seemed that the Division was in great danger of being outflanked, for enemy had got to Grandcourt and Beaumont Hamel. All units came under increasing pressure as the enemy pressed on. Many enemy attacks were repelled with heavy casualties, although the Division suffered 1634 casualties in halting their advance.”
Amongst the many killed in this action on 26th March 1918 was Private C Newman whose name is inscribed on Pozieres Memorial. This relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.
David Newman and his remaining family cannot be traced after the Great War ended. There now seems to have been no connection with the previous name on Ashtead’s War Memorial, AJ Newman.
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page added 23 Mar 09: 28 Nov 17