Lot Archive

Lot

№ 916

.

25 June 2009

Hammer Price:
£410

Pair: Private W. Newton, Lancashire Fusiliers

Queen’s Sudan 1896-98 (4352 Pte., 2/Lan. Fus.); Khedive’s Sudan 1896-1908, 1 clasp, Khartoum (4352 Pte., 2nd L.F.) engraved naming, nearly extremely fine (2) £350-400

William Newton was born in Manchester. A Painter by occupation and a member of the 3rd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, he attested for short service with the Lancashire Fusiliers on 8 December 1892, aged 18 years, 11 months. Getting off to a poor start, he was tried for theft and desertion in 1893 and was imprisoned, October 1893-February 1894. Upon his release he was posted to the 2nd Battalion and served in India, February 1894-Janaury 1898 and then Egypt and the Sudan, January-October 1898. For his service he was awarded the Queen’s Sudan Medal and Khedive’s Sudan Medal with clasp for Khartoum. With the battalion he then served in the Occupation of Crete, October-December 1898, followed by service in Malta, December 1898-October 1899. After a short period in England he was then posted to South Africa, December 1899-October 1902. Serving in the Boer War, he was wounded at Spion Kop, 24 January 1900 (Wound confirmed on his service papers; the published casualty roll lists him as ‘4582 Pte. J. Newton’). For his services he was awarded the Queen’s Medal with clasps for Orange Free State, Transvaal, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith and Laing’s Nek, and the King’s Medal with two clasps. Newton was transferred to the Army Reserve in February 1903 and was finally discharged in January 1909. Sold with copied service papers.