Private William Edward Newson, 24th Battalion, AIF
Australian War MemorialWilliam “Bill” Edward Newson was born in 1880, one of six children of George and Ellen Newson of what is now known as Mitchell in Queensland’s Western Downs. His father died when he was a baby. Bill attended state school in Warren before the family moved to Trangie in New South Wales, where he worked as a labourer. He was fondly remembered in the community as “well-known and of a very humorous disposition”.
Bill Newson enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at Woodonga in Victoria in March 1915. He embarked for Egypt as an original member of the 24th Battalion in May 1915. After several weeks training, they sailed for Gallipoli to join the Australian 2nd Division reinforcements in early September. The battalion spent most of its time near Lone Pine before it returned to Egypt two months later.
The 24th spent the following months training in Egypt in preparation for fighting on the Western Front. Arriving in France in March 1916, the 2nd Division spent its first weeks in the new operational theatre in the relatively quiet sector outside the town of Armentières on the Franco-Belgian border. Troops of the 24th Battalion carried out patrols of no man’s land and raids on the German trenches, in preparation for their first major offensive effort.
In July, the 2nd Division moved south to the Somme and entered the line near the village of Pozières which the Australians had captured just days earlier. Taking the village had pushed a significant bulge into German lines, allowing German guns to pour devastating fire onto the village from multiple sides of the battlefield.
The 2nd Division entered the line at Pozières on 27 July 1916 and began preparations for an assault on the German defences east of the village. Known as the OG lines, these were a formidable network of trenches that dominated the high ground of the area and impeded any further progress. Capturing these defences would allow the Australians to take the high ground surrounding Pozières and push north towards the heights of Thiepval.
The 24th Battalion assaulted the OG lines the following evening in what was ultimately a costly and unsuccessful assault. German machine-gun crews were alerted to the Australians as they formed up before the attack began, opening fire on them and inflicting a heavy toll. The supporting bombardment was not strong enough to overwhelm the German defences, and assaulting troops were caught out in the open by rifle and machine-gun fire before being driven away.
By morning, the 2nd Division had lost over 3,500 men as casualties and the OG lines remained in German hands.
Among the casualties lost that night was Bill Newson, listed as killed in action. We do not know exactly how he died that night but his body was recovered. He was later buried at Courcelette British Cemetery where he rests today. He was 36 years old.
Aaron Pegram, Historian, Military History Section
- Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C2278538
