Who was Sergeant BC Newman?

[mcassell]

I have been following up some research on 42594 Sergeant Bertram C. Newman, Machine Gun Corps, one of only four MGC men to receive the General Service Medal with bar 'S.PERSIA'. The medal roll shows him as 'Field Accounts Office, Bushire Field Force', and his MIC shows award of British War, Victory Medal and GSM with 'S.PERSIA' bar, the latter sent to 15 Flaxton Road, Plumstead Common in 1924. Unfortunately, no service record has survived.

Going through the BDM index for Bertram C. Newman's born between 1880 and 1900 turns up only two, both Bertram Charles Newman.

BC Newman, born Somerset 1888, a farmer who farmed at Kingston and Beddington,Surrey, died 27 April 1941.

BC Newman, born London 1890, is shown as a solicitor's clerk with the Metropolitan Water Board in 1911living in East Finchley; he died 21 November 1946 in East Finchley. This BC Newman's service record has survived and shows he was discharged from the 15th Battalion, London Regiment on 7 February 1916 - termination of 5 year engagement - with rank Corporal and numbers 1277 and 533710. My first thought was that he may have re-enlisted in the MGC (the number 42594 was issued circa May 1916) and his occupation would certainly fit with working in Field Accounts.

This BC Newman has 3 MIC;s: one for his British war and Victory Medals and MID emblem as 533710 SGT. 15 Londons; one for his 1914-15 Star, British War and Victory Medals as 1277 Private Bertram E Newman, 15 Londons and another one for a 1914-15 trio to 1277 Corporal Bertram G. Newman 15 Londons which was returned for adjustment.

Now comes what I thought was the clincher: 533710 Sergeant B.C. Newman was mentioned in dispatches by General Marshall in London Gazette 5 July 1919 for service with the staff of North Persia Command! So, my second thought was that there is only a slim chance that two Sergeant Bertram Newmans were serving in Headquarters units in Persia so these must be the same man and he ended up getting several sets of medals.

However, all this fell apart when I discovered a BC Newman living in Plumstead Common - where the General Service Medal was sent - up to 1961 though no christian names have turned up.

Does anybody have any suggestions how I can dig myself out of this hole?

[chops]

On May 15th 1919,at the Parish Church of St.Dunston London, SERGEANT BERTRAM CHARLES NEWMAN Age 29 of 38, CHANCERY LANE, Father Charles Newman

(deceased chemist),married MAUD LOUISE ANSELL of HIGH ST.ROCHESTER.Copy of the Certificate can be found on ANCESTRY.

The certificate may give you some additional follow up clues to your man's identity.

corona

[David_Underdown]

"Record of service of solicitors and articled clerks with His Majesty's forces, 1914-1919" may help rule in or out the articled clerk. Online at http://archive.org/details/recordofserviceo00soli

[mcassell]

Thanks to both of you for the leads.

Corona: followed this up and this is the 15 London BC Newman: wife died in 1936 and he died in 1946 leaving his estate to a member of the Waterboard

Colonel: Had not seen this souce before but no BC Newman listed.

[mcassell]

Thanks to the above leads I think I have found my man. A Bertie Charles Newman, born 1894 died 15 June 1962, lived at 93 Plum Lane, Plumstead Common, a couple of hundred yards from the Flaxton Road address where Bertram C. Newman's General Service Medal was sent in 1924. I guess he may have 'gentrified' his name on enlistment, hence Bertram on his medal index card. So, there were two Bertie Charles Newmans, both Londoners, in Persia in 1918, one with the London Regiment and the other with the MGC.

Any further information would be much appreciated.