Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Sydney and Madge Newham, of Shenton Park, Western Australia.

HIS DUTY NOBLY DONE. EVER REMEMBERED BY HIS LOVED ONES

WA BROTHERS KILLED.
Served in Same Gun Crew.
The first WA soldiers reported killed in action in the present battle at Alamein in Egypt were 2 brothers - Gnr Sydney Newham (25) and Gnr Thomas Collingwood Newham (17),  first and second sons of Mr and Mrs S. Newham, of 14 Harvey-street, Victoria Park.
When a representative of "The West Australian" called at her home yesterday, Mrs Newham, who was bereaved of an infant son only a, week ago, said that her boys were in the  same battery of field artillery and served in the same gun crew. They had apparently been killed to gether, probably by a direct hit, in the early part of the battle which began on  Friday last. She had received 2 telegrams on Tuesday announcing that they had both been killed on Saturday. Tommy put his age up and joined the militia when he was 15," said Mrs Newham. "In April, 1941, he joined the AIF. He would have been 18 on February 4. He was an enthusiastic swimmer and was in the baseball team at Perth Boys' School. He  had first been in action at Ruin Ridge. In a cablegram received from him about a fortnight ago he said he had just recovered from an operation for appendicitis. Sydney left home  when he was 14 and worked on stations in the North West until he joined the AIF. He had been away 2 years and fought in Syria and at Mersa Matruh."

The Newhams have a proud record of service. Mr Newham is an incapacitated soldier of the last war. He was formerly a life-saving in structor at Bunbury and won a swim through Perth. A daughter is serving with the WAAAF in Sydney, and the only surviving son, a boy of 14, is an ARP warden at Victoria Park. A son-in-law is serving with the AIF.