Albert James Newton

Born 27 Feb 1889 - Died 27 Sept 1916

Service number: WWI 8/1140 AWMM
Also known as: AJ AWMM
Armed force / branch: Army AWMM
Last rank: WW1 Sergeant AWMM Otago Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, 8th (Southland) Company AWMM
War: World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM

Albert James Newton — Private A. J. Newton, 8th Southland Company, wounded. Supplement to the Auckland Weekly News, 8 July 1915, p.39. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections AWNS-19150708-39-36.

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Biographical information

Albert James Newton was born in Wellington on 27 February 1889, the son of Thomas and Mary Newton, of Mokotua, Southland. Before World War I he worked as a farmer for his father at Mokotua. He had previously served for three years with the Green Island Rifles.

Newton enlisted in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force at Dunedin on 1 September 1914 and joined the Otago Infantry Battalion. He embarked with the Main Body and served in Egypt and at Gallipoli. During the Gallipoli campaign he was admitted to hospital at Alexandria in April 1915, transferred to a convalescent camp at Mustapha, and returned to duty in June. He later rejoined his unit at the Dardanelles and was promoted to corporal in February 1916 and sergeant in April 1916.

Several letters written by Newton are held by Auckland War Memorial Museum as part of the Papers relating to war service of Ernest William Newton and Albert James Newton and were made accessible through Pou Kanohi New Zealand at War. A letter dated 15 November 1914 describes the voyage from Hobart to Albany, Western Australia (MS-921-1-7). A letter written at sea on 25 December 1915 describes the successful evacuation from Gallipoli and the troops’ passage to Egypt, where he hoped to meet his brother Ernest with the reinforcements (MS-921-1-8).

Newton embarked for France in April 1916 with the 1st Battalion, Otago Infantry Regiment. In a letter written from the trenches on 11 June 1916, he described persistent rain, mud and cold, comparing the conditions with Southland weather. He also noted that Ernest was serving with the snipers in the front line and concluded that both brothers were well (MS-921-1-12).

Sergeant Albert James Newton was killed in action in France on 27 September 1916 while serving with the 8th Company, 1st Battalion, Otago Infantry Regiment. He was 27 years old. His service record records entitlement to the 1914–15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. His memorial plaque and scroll were sent to his family at Mokotua. AWMM

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Albert James Newton