212809 Lt. William Trafford Newton British Army 1/6th Btn. B Company North Staffordshire from:Tutbury, Burton, Staffs (d.1st July 1916) My great great uncle, Lt William Newton, served with 1/6th North Staffs in World War 1. He got trench fever, and stayed with his regiment, going to Egypt at christmas 1915-Jan 1916.
He went on leave at end of May/start June and returned to England. and returned to France at the end of June 1916, a week before the Somme offensive.
He died on the first day of the Somme, at Gommecourt Wood. He made it to the German trenches but was killed as soon as he entered the trench.
As the British didn't take the German trenches until Feb 1917, WT Newtons body wasn't recovered until then.
My great grandfather, Major Leigh Newton, (brother of WT Newton) was awarded the DSO for bravery. He was in the Battle of Loos, stuck in a water-logged German trench all day from early morning until that night when he was able to crawl back under cover of darkness. He was injured at Gommecourt (part of Somme Offensive) but his war carried on until July 1917 on the eve of Paschandaelle when he was hit by multiple gun shots in both legs and thighs, breaking his right femur. Their cousin Lt Ben Newton lost an arm lost his arm at Loos in Oct 1915, but he stayed on working as an adjutant at General Office.
All 3 had worked together at the family Gypsum mine and Plaster Mill at Tutbury near Burton, and many of their workers joined up aswell. Two colleagues Capt J M Stack and Lt A Evershed also died at Gommecourt, had played Rugby for Burton Football Club in 1914, alongside the Newtons.
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