James Newland
James Ernest Newland, VC (22 August 1881 – 19 March 1949) was an Australian soldier, policeman and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces. Newland was awarded the Victoria Cross following three separate actions in April 1917, during attacks against German forces retreating to the Hindenburg Line. While in command of a company, Newland successfully led his men in several assaults on German positions and repulsed subsequent counter-attacks.
Born in the
Transferring to the Western Front in 1916, Newland was
Early life
Newland was born in the Geelong suburb of Highton, Victoria, on 22 August 1881 to William Newland, a labourer, and his wife Louisa Jane (née Wall).[1] In 1899, he enlisted in the Commonwealth Military Forces and was assigned to the 4th Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse, as a private.[2][3] The unit later embarked for South Africa, where Newland saw active service in Cape Town during the Second Boer War.[1]
Returning to Australia in 1902, Newland re-settled in Victoria and joined the
First World War
On 17 August 1914,[5] Newland transferred to the newly raised Australian Imperial Force following the British Empire's declaration of war on Germany and her allies.[4] Assigned to the 12th Battalion, he was made its regimental quartermaster sergeant and embarked from Hobart aboard HMAT Geelong on 20 October, bound for Egypt.[5] After a brief stop in Western Australia,[6] the troopship arrived at its destination seven weeks later.[2] The 12th Battalion spent the next four months training in the Egyptian desert.[6]
At the commencement of the
Newland was engaged in operations on the Gallipoli Peninsula until 9 June, when he was withdrawn from the area and placed in command of the 12th Battalion's transport elements stationed in Egypt.[1] Promoted to lieutenant on 15 October, he was hospitalised for ten days in November due to dengue fever.[7] Following the Allied evacuation of Gallipoli in December, the 12th Battalion returned to Egypt where Newland continued as transport officer.[6] Promoted to captain on 1 March 1916, he was made adjutant of the 12th Battalion fifteen days later. It embarked for France and the Western Front later that month.[1]
Disembarking at
Mouquet Farm was a ruined complex connected to several German strongpoints, and formed part of the
After its involvement at
Re-joining the 12th Battalion, Newland once again assumed command of A Company. On 26 February 1917, he was tasked with leading it during the 12th Battalion's attack on the village of La Barque during the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line.[2] At Bark Trench, a position on the north side of the centre of La Barque,[11] the company encountered a German strongpoint and Newland received a gunshot wound to the face. He was admitted to the 1st Australian Field Ambulance, and returned to the 12th Battalion on 25 March after a period of hospitalisation at the 7th Stationary Hospital in Boulogne.[7]
Victoria Cross
By early April 1917, there remained three German-held outpost villages—
On the night of 7/8 April, the 12th Battalion was tasked with the capture of Boursies, on the Bapaume–Cambrai road.[12] The attack was a feint to mislead the German forces on the direction from which Hermies was to be assaulted.[4] Leading A Company as well as an attached platoon from B Company,[12] Newland began his advance on the village at 03:00. The company was soon subject to heavy rifle and machine gun fire from a derelict mill approximately 400 metres (440 yd) short of the village, and began to suffer heavy casualties. Rallying his men, Newland charged the position and bombed the Germans with grenades. The attack dislodged the Germans, and the company secured the area and continued its advance.[4]
Throughout 8 April, the Australians were subjected to heavy shellfire from German forces. At approximately 22:00,
After a four-day reprieve from the frontline, the 12th Battalion relieved the 9th Battalion at Lagnicourt on 14 April. Around dawn the next day, the Germans launched a severe counter-attack against the 1st Australian Division's line.[15] Breaking through, they forced back the 12th Battalion's D Company, which was to the right of Newland's A Company.[16] Soon surrounded and under attack on three sides,[17] Newland withdrew the company to a sunken road which had been held by Captain Percy Cherry during the capture of the village three weeks earlier, and lined the depleted company out in a defensive position on each bank.[4]
The German forces attacked Newland's company several times during the battle, but were repulsed each time. During one of the assaults, Newland observed that the German attack was weakening and gathered a party of twenty men. Leading the group, he charged the Germans and seized forty as prisoners.[18] As reinforcements from the 9th Battalion began to arrive, a combined counter-attack was launched and the line recaptured by approximately 11:00.[4] During the engagement, the 12th Battalion suffered 125 casualties, including 66 killed or missing.[17] Newland and Whittle were both awarded the Victoria Cross for their actions at Boursies and Lagnicourt; they were the only two permanent members of the Australian military to receive the decoration during the war. At 35 years and 7 months old, Newland was also the oldest Australian Victoria Cross recipient of the First World War.[17]
The full citation for Newland's Victoria Cross appeared in a supplement to the London Gazette on 8 June 1917:[19]
War Office, 8th June, 1917.
His Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the Victoria Cross to the undermentioned Officers, Non-commissioned Officers and Men: —
Capt. James Ernest Newlands, [sic] Inf. Bn., Aus. Imp. Force.[20]
For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty, in the face of heavy odds, on three separate occasions.
On the first occasion he organised the attack by his company on a most important objective, and led personally, under heavy fire, a bombing attack. He then rallied his company, which had suffered heavy casualties, and he was one of the first to reach the objective.
On the following night his company, holding the captured position, was heavily counter-attacked. By personal exertion, utter disregard of fire, and judicious use of reserves, he succeeded in dispersing the enemy and regaining the position.
On a subsequent occasion, when the company on his left was overpowered and his own company attacked from the rear, he drove off a combined attack which had developed from these directions.
These attacks were renewed three or four times, and it was Capt. Newland's tenacity and disregard for his own safety that encouraged the men to hold out.
The stand made by this officer was of the greatest importance, and produced far-reaching results.
Later war service
In early May 1917, the 12th Battalion was involved in the British and Australian attempt to capture the village of Bullecourt.[4] While engaged in this operation on 6 May, Newland was wounded for the third and final time of the war by a gunshot to his left armpit. Initially admitted to the 5th Field Ambulance, he was transferred to No 1 Red Cross Hospital, Le Touquet, the next day. The injury necessitated treatment in England, and Newland was shipped to a British hospital eight days later.[7]
On recovering from his wounds, Newland attended an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace on 21 July, where he was decorated with his Victoria Cross by King George V.[4] Later the same day, Newland boarded a ship to Australia. It arrived in Melbourne on 18 September, and Newland travelled to Tasmania. He was discharged from the Australian Imperial Force as medically unfit on 2 March 1918.[7]
Later life
Following his discharge, Newland retained the rank of captain and returned to service with the permanent military forces.[1] Between the two world wars, he held several appointments in the army, including adjutant and quartermaster of the 8th, 49th, 52nd, 38th and 12th Battalions, as well as area officer and recruiting officer.[4] In 1924, Newland's wife Florence died of tuberculosis. On 30 April 1925, he married Heather Vivienne Broughton in a ceremony at St Paul's Anglican Church, Bendigo; the couple would later have a daughter.[1] Promoted to major on 1 May 1930, Newland was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in 1935.[21]
With the outbreak of the Second World War, Newland was seconded for duties as quartermaster instructor at the 4th Division headquarters.[22] On 10 May 1940, he assumed his final army appointment as quartermaster, A Branch, at Army Headquarters in Melbourne. He served in this position until August 1941, when he was placed on the retired list with the honorary rank of lieutenant colonel.[21]
In retirement, Newland served as Assistant Commissioner of the
Notes
- ^ ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Gliddon 2000, p. 46
- ^ "James Ernest Newland". Boer War Nominal Roll. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Staunton 2005, p. 75
- ^ a b "James Ernest Newland" (PDF). First World War Embarkation Roll. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g "12th Battalion". Australian military units. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g "James Ernest Newland". The AIF Project. Australian Defence Force Academy. Retrieved 19 December 2008.
- ^ "Recommendation for James Ernest Newland to be awarded a Military Cross" (PDF). Recommendations: First World War. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
- ^ "Recommendation for James Ernest Newland to be awarded a Mention in Despatches" (PDF). Recommendations: First World War. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
- ^ "No. 29890". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 January 1917. p. 255.
- ^ Gliddon 2000, p. 79
- ^ a b c d Gliddon 2000, p. 44
- ^ a b c "Recommendation for James Ernest Newland to be awarded a Victoria Cross" (PDF). Recommendations: First World War. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 24 December 2008.
- ^ Gliddon 2000, p. 77
- ^ Gliddon 2000, pp. 44–45
- ^ Staunton 2005, p. 77
- ^ a b c Gliddon 2000, p. 45
- ^ "Recommendation for James Ernest Newland to be awarded a Victoria Cross (Cont)" (PDF). Recommendations: First World War. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 24 December 2008.
- ^ "No. 30122". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 June 1917. p. 5702.
- ^ Note: Newland's name was incorrectly given as "Newlands", which was amended in a later issue of the London Gazette: "No. 30212". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 July 1917. p. 7869.
- ^ a b Staunton 2005, p. 76
- ^ a b Gliddon 2000, p. 47
- ^ "Victoria Crosses at the Memorial". Hall of Valour. Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
References
- Gliddon, Gerald (2000). Arras & Messines 1917. ISBN 0-905778-61-8.
- Staunton, Anthony (2005). Victoria Cross: Australia's Finest and the Battles they Fought. Prahran, Victoria, Australia: Hardie Grant Books. ISBN 1-74066-288-1.
External links
- "Newland VC". VC Recipients. Diggerhistory.info. Archived from the original on 9 May 2008. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
- "Newland, James Earnest". 150 Years: 150 Lives. Brightoncemetery.com. Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 11 December 2008.