Regiment: Royal Sussex Regiment (Pioneers) 8th Battalion, 18th Division
Service No: G/2362
Date & place of birth: 23 September 1894, Kirdford
Date & place of death: 5 September 1917 (aged22), Western Front
Family background
Richard Newman was born in Kirdford, the son of Frederick and Rosina Newman. Frederick was a farm labourer at a farm called Elkham and in 1911 was listed as a general estate labourer – probably for the Leconfield estate, as they were then living in Gunters Bridge, a hamlet on the Balls Cross Road where most of the properties are still owned by the Leconfield Estate. By 1911 they had had 10 children of whom 1 had died: the other boys were George, Mark, Richard and Archibald and the girls Fanny Frances, Julia Mann, Ellen Constance, Alice Winifred and Gladys Gertrude. In 1911 Richard was still living at Gunters Bridge and working as a grocers errand boy.
Military service
Private Newman enlisted in Worthing to the Royal Sussex Regiment. In 1917 his regiment were involved in the Third Battle of the Scarpe, the Battles of Pilkem Ridge and Langemarck and the First and Second Battles of Passchendaele. He was awarded the Victory, British and 15 star medals.
Death and commemoration
Private Richard James Newman was killed in action on 5 September 1917 aged 24. He is buried in Duhallow A.D.S. Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium B.20.