Richard David NEWELL

Badge Number: 18687
18687

NEWELL, Richard David

Service Number: 6125
Enlisted: Not yet discovered
Last Rank: Lance Corporal
Last Unit: 27th Infantry Battalion
Born: Port Lincoln, South Australia,, 7 April 1887
Home Town: Not yet discovered
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Farmer
Died: Poonindie, South Australia, Australia, 5 June 1944, aged 57 years, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery: West Terrace Cemetery (General) Adelaide, South Australia
Memorials: Port Lincoln Poonindie School Roll of Honor, Yallunda Flat Memorial Park
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World War 1 Service

6 Nov 1916: Involvement Private, 6125, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: ''
6 Nov 1916: Embarked Private, 6125, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Afric, Adelaide
11 Nov 1918: Involvement Lance Corporal, 6125, 27th Infantry Battalion

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Biography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College

Richard David Newell was born on the 7th of April 1887 in the town of Port Lincoln, South Australia. During his adult life, he lived in the small town of Poonindie located in South Australia and worked as a farmer prior to his enlistment. He had no previous military service experience. Richard David Newell enlisted on the 11th of March 1916, at the age of 28 and 11 months in Tumby Bay, South Australia. At the time of enlistment he was single and had no children. His religious denomination was the Church of England.

He spent two months training in Egypt, and left Australia in June as a part of the 27th Battalion. He landed at Gallipoli on the 12th of September 1915.

The 27th Battalion was assembled in South Australia in March 1915, from recruits formerly set aside for the 24th Battalion, most of them were from the suburbs of Adelaide. The 27th Battalion joined forces with other forces to create the 7th Brigade. The 27th Battalion suffered only minor fatalities throughout their stay in Gallipoli. He started out as a private which was the ranking of the ordinary soldier but was later appointed to Lance-Corporal.

On the 3rd of July 1916 he was admitted to hospital with measles. There was an outbreak of measles in the 27th Battalion at this time. Later in September he was hospitalised again with Chicken Pox. He was sent to the Parkhouse Military Hospital in Rollestone in November of 1916. His poor luck with health continued and he was diagonsed with mumbs in February 1917. He then spent time with a training battalion and joined the 27th Ballalion as part of the 17th Reinforcement. 

It is likely that Newell fought at the Battle of Menin Rd in September 1917 including Broodseinde Ridge. In February 1918 he took a couple of weeks leave and rejoined his unit in time for the Spring Offensive in April of 1918 likely figting at Morlancourt in June, Hamel in July and Amiens in August and broke through the Beaurevoir Line in early October. In late October he took more leave and returned in early November.

Richard David Newell returned to South Australia, Australia on the 13th of July 1919 from the war. When he returned, he decided to become a blacksmith’s striker. On the 5th of June 1944 he died at the age of 57. This was published in a Sydney newspaper one day after his death. The newsletter read that: A report is being prepared by Plainclothes Constable Sutherland on the death of Richard David Newell. 57 blacksmith's striker, of Angas street. City. who dropped dead at the out-patients' department at the Royal Adelaide Hospital yesterday. He was buried in the West Terrace Cemetery (General) Adelaide, South Australia.

 

Bibliography

“| the Australian War Memorial.” Www.awm.gov.au, www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1339166.

“Australian Imperial Force Unit War Diaries, 1914-18 War.” Awm.gov.au, 2016, www.awm.gov.au/collection/AWM4.

Directorate of Honours and Awards World War I Recognising Australian Service.

“NEWELL Richard David : Service Number - 6125 : Place of Birth - Port Lincoln SA : Place of Enlistment - Tumby Bay SA : Next of Kin - (Mother) NEWELL Mary.” National Archives of Australia, 1914, recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=7995084&S=24&R=0. Accessed 10 Apr. 2022.

“NEWELL Richard David : Service Number - 6125 : Place of Birth - Port Lincoln SA : Place of Enlistment - Tumby Bay SA : Next of Kin - (Mother) NEWELL Mary.” National Archives of Australia, 1914, recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=7995084&S=25&R=0. Accessed 10 Apr. 2022.

“Report on Death.” News, 6 June 1944, trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/128404708?searchTerm=Richard%20David%20Newell. Accessed 10 Apr. 2022.

“Researching Australian Military Service: First World War, 1914-1918 | the Australian War Memorial.” Www.awm.gov.au, www.awm.gov.au/research/guide/ww1.

 

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