Branch of Service

Army

Conflict

World War I (1914-1918)

Date of Enlistment

27/08/1914

Date of Discharge

14/09/1919

Place of Enlistment

Sydney NSW

Gender

Male

Place of Birth

Ipswich, England

Address (at enlistment)

Duntroon ACT

Occupation

Carpenter

Next of Kin

Sarah Newson (mother), Sarah Newson, Ipswich, England

Service Number

157

Final Rank

Flight Sergeant

Final Unit

Australian Flying Corps

Queanbeyan RSL Wall of Remembrance, Crawford St, Queanbeyan NSW
Roll of Honour 1914-19 in Queanbeyan Masonic Centre, Crawford St, Queanbeyan NSW

Distinguished Conduct Medal - the citation says: "Landed at Anzac 25-4-15 and did constant duty up to the evacuation. He had charge of sections of defence in front of German Officers' Trench, at Silt Spur, and at various points in the line, and carried out his duties most satisfactorily. On many occasions he had to supervise the construction of trenches and repair of parapets under heavy shell fire. He performed his duties most satisfactorily in every way".
Mentioned in Despatches - for "distinguished and gallant services"

Tom Newson was an Englishman who arrived in Australia in 1908 and in Canberra towards the end of 1911 to work at the Royal Military College, Duntroon as a carpenter. He became involved in the Federal Sports Club, the Duntroon Amusement Hall and the Freemasons. Newson enlisted shortly after the outbreak of war and was allocated to the 1st Field Company Engineers. He landed with the first troops at Gallipoli at dawn on 25 April 1915 and was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his work at Silt Spur as well as being mentioned in despatches. He was gassed near Pozieres in July 1916 and returned to England where he finished the war as Chief Mechanic, 5th Training Squadron in the Australian Flying Corp. He was discharged in September 1919, after spending six months in hospital at Randwick, and died in Sydney in 1948.

The AWM photo has the caption: "Tel el Kebir, North Egypt. February 1916. Limber wagon used to cart tools, bringing two barrels of beer for 1st Field Company Engineers Sergeants' Mess. On the right is Sergeant Tom Newson."

Description - height 5 feet 6 inches, weight 144 pounds, chest 33-36 inches, medium complexion, brown eyes, dark brown hair, Church of England.

Rex Cross, 'Bygone Queanbeyan', 1980
Our Queanbeyan 'Boys' No.2, Howard & Shearsby, Yass (postcard)
Stories from the ACT Memorial, 'Gallipoli Landing', ACT Heritage Library www.library.act.gov.au/find/history/stories_from_the_act_memorial
Queanbeyan Age - 9 February 1912, 7 June 1912, 14 January 1913, 10 June 1913, 31 October 1913, 30 June 1914, 13 August 1915, 19 September 1916, 17 September 1918, 4 February 1919
Sydney Mail - 17 January 1917
Canberra & District Historical Society Newsletter, April 2005
AWM Collections Record: C04144
NAA RecordSearch - Series B2455 (First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920)