NEWMAN, Richard

Richard Newman lived at 21 Prospect Row, Dudley, and volunteered for the Worcester Territorials, probably before the war, and served in the 1/7th Battalion in the 48th (South Midland) Division. They went to the Western Front in March 1915 and took a full part in the 1916 Battle of the Somme from the first day near Gommecourt to the last battle of the Ancre. In early 1917 they followed up the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line and captured the Mound at Templeux-Guerard in a remarkable exploit. By August they had moved to Flanders for the Third Battle of Ypres. They fought on the Steenbeke and on the 17th August C Company was ordered to capture the Maison du Hibou, one of the fortified farms near Langemarck. The accuracy of the enemy machine guns and the failure of the artillery to damage the German defences led to failure and among those killed in action was Private Richard Newman. He is commemorated on the Tynecot and Dudley Memorials.