NEWMARCH, John Heathcote

  1. Service Details
  2. Personal Details
  3. Unit and Rank Details
  4. Awards and Honours
  5. Notes
  6. Sources

Service Details

Branch of Service
Army
Conflict
World War I (1914-1918)
Date of Enlistment
14/08/1914
Date of Discharge
25/04/1917
Place of Enlistment
Royal Military College, Duntroon ACT

Personal Details

Gender
Male
Date of Birth
11/04/1894
Place of Birth
North Sydney NSW
Address (at enlistment)
Royal Military College, Duntroon ACT
Occupation
Soldier
Next of Kin
Mrs. Blanche Newmarch (mother), Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW

Unit and Rank Details

Final Rank
Captain
Final Unit
3 Battery, 1 Field Artillery Brigade AIF

Awards and Honours

Mention in Despatches (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette 30 November 1916, page 3233, position 48)
Military Cross (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette 21 September 1916, page 2622, position 27)

Notes

Newmarch entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon on 22 June 1911 in the first intake of cadets and was a member of the Honour Guard at the naming ceremony in Canberra on 12 March 1913. At the outbreak of thew war, his class was graduated early (on 14 August 1914) and Newmarch was appointed as a Lieutenant with the 3rd Battery of the 1st Field Artillery Brigade. He was placed in charge of the Battery Staff and during training acted as Battery Leader. After landing on Gallipoli Newmarch was placed in charge of two 12 pounder naval guns which were used to enfilade Turkish positions. He was directing fire on 6 August 1915 when he was shot in the back near the spine. He was Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Military Cross for his work on Gallipoli. The recommendation for the award says: " "On 3rd June moved 12 pdr. naval gun to forward position. On 4th June brought oblique fire to bear on Turkish works and entrenchments. During the engagements on these and subsequent dates the fire from this gun was very effective. This gun remained in action although continuously under heavy howitzer fire. On 12th June the gun emplacement was completely demolished by shell fire. The gun was then withdrawn. On 4th August he moved a 15 pdr. gun into position in rear of our firing line on the right of the 42nd Division. On 6th August, whilst in command of this gun he was dangerously wounded. The fire from this gun was most effective. Left Anzac on 6 August 1915". The bullet was later removed and in March 1916 Newmarch was appointed as Staff Captain in the 5th Division. His appointment was terminated in April 1917. He took up accountancy after the war and joined Vestey's in the Northern Territory in 1926. Newmarch also served in World War 2 and was, at the time of his enlistment, General Manager of the Forestry Paper & Pulp Company Pty Ltd. He died in 1963. A street in Darwin is named after him.

Description - height 5 feet 6¾ inches, weight 140 pounds, chest 33-37 inches, brown eyes, fair hair, fair complexion, Church of England.

Sources

Colonel J.E. Lee, 'Duntroon: The Royal Military College of Australia 1911-1946', 1952
NAA RecordSearch - Series B2455 (First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920)
NAA RecordSearch - Series B883 (Second Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1939-1947)
Stories from the ACT Memorial, 'The Honour Guard at the Canberra Commencement Ceremony', ACT Heritage Library www.library.act.gov.au/find/history/stories_from_the_act_memorial
NT Place Names Register http://www.ntlis.nt.gov.au/placenames/view.jsp?id=24289 (viewed 29/4/2015)
AWM collection record : P08137.001, P08137.005

Create Certificate
John Newmarch (centre in white shirt), with his 12 pounder gun, Gallipoli. AWM image P08137.005.

John Newmarch (centre in white shirt), with his 12 pounder gun, Gallipoli. AWM image P08137.005.

RMC crest, Mena Camp, Egypt believed created by Newmarch. AWM image P08137.001

RMC crest, Mena Camp, Egypt believed created by Newmarch. AWM image P08137.001

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