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Remembered Today:

William Ernest Newbitt DSM Mentioned in Despatches


toofatfortakeoff

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There was a post a little while back about William Ernest Newbitt the husband of Lily from Council Terrace who was the only person from Barton upon Humber to serve abroad in both wars. Unfortunately he died at sea in WW2What I just found out as well, in his naval service record, it says mentioned in despatches for an act of some bravery, which became a distinguished service medal in the London Gazette. Maybe he kept it quiet.

  • He enlists in the navy J38997 on HMS Ganges as a Boy 2nd Class assuming a training ship, (goes many times to HMS Pembroke, (another training ship on land at Chatham) and serves on HMS Columbine, Benbow, Hecla? illeg and the Iron Duke, becoming an AB Ist Class. He was in and out of HMS Pembroke, presumably this is your allocation onshore and crucially at the time of his awards which aren't on his headstone, there is an illegible section. Im a bit out of my depth with all things naval; so if anyone can help at all you have my thanks.
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Edited by toofatfortakeoff
some lies corrected
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13 hours ago, toofatfortakeoff said:

becoming an AB Ist Class

There was no such rating in the RN. He was plain Able Seaman (later Leading Seaman).

His November 1918 DSM (from the RN for services in the Aegean 1 Jan to 30 Jun 1918) and his December 1918 mention in Army despatches were both awarded for the time he was serving in the battleship HMS LORD NELSON at Salonika. Services rendered for the DSM and MiD are not described but are probably not for individual acts but for good service over a sustained period.

Chatham Barracks (HMS PEMBROKE) was, indeed, the base port to which he returned between sea drafts.

Edited by horatio2
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 I was in cadets and I’m sure the abbreviation used was AB? For able seaman in the 80s? Also the transcript on his record , I think, I’ll have to look again. 

 

12 hours ago, horatio2 said:

There was no such rating in the RN. He was plain Able Seaman (later Leading Seaman).

His November 1918 DSM (from the RN for services in the Aegean 1 Jan to 30 Jun 1918) and his December 1918 mention in Army despatches were both awarded for the time he was serving in the battleship HMS LORD NELSON at Salonika. Services rendered for the DSM and MiD are not described but are probably not for individual acts but for good service over a sustained period.

Chatham Barracks (HMS PEMBROKE) was, indeed, the base port to which he returned between sea drafts.

Thanks for the info Horatio, it ties in with what family have dug up this morning.  

Edited by toofatfortakeoff
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The man himself. I’m not sure when this was taken he did stay in the Navy for 12 years, and then in the Second World War joined HMS Delhi, dying aged 41 in 41. 
I knew his widow Lilly and her two sons Don and Dennis-they lived on my street. 

49F641E0-649D-4DAE-97EE-673AC69CB729.png

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30 minutes ago, toofatfortakeoff said:

he did stay in the Navy for 12 years, and then in the Second World War joined HMS Delhi, dying aged 41 in 41. 

He served for more than 12 years, being pensioned in September 1939 (after 22 years service from age 18) but continuing in service in HMS DELHI as a Pensioner Leading Seaman. I assume you have both his records from ADM 188 (ledger) and ADM 353 (on card). If not, here they are:-

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6937936   and

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14802693

 

His WW2 service is outside the scope of this Forum but details of his cause of death are on the reverse of his card record and he is, of course, commemorated by the CWGC in Sierra Leone where was buried.

 

34 minutes ago, toofatfortakeoff said:

I’m sure the abbreviation used was AB?

Quite correct. I was pointing out the AB 1st Class is incorrect.

Edited by horatio2
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Now, I have an added mystery-his niece Nora Thompson, somewhere between 85-100 says she was a Newbitt pre marriage and the medal was for rowing soldiers ashore at Gallipoli as a boy sailor. This would have come directly from himself or Aunt Lily. 

She has a very crystal clear memory by the way and we always go to her for enquiries of the past locally, she never lets us down.  William was known as Ernie for one,  had five kids, (Don followed his dad into the navy HMS Eagle WW2)  and William/Ernie was about to come out of the navy when the war second war kicked off. 

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3 hours ago, toofatfortakeoff said:

the medal was for rowing soldiers ashore at Gallipoli as a boy sailor.

His record shows that as a "boy sailor" his sea service was entirely (August 1915 until August 1917) in HMS COMMONWEALTH in the Grand Fleet. This ship never went near Gallipoli. Troops had been withdrawn from Gallipoli in early January 1916. So, Gallipoli is out of the question. However, the award was probably for some such service but at Salonika when he was serving in HMS LORD NELSON (September 1917 to May 1919) as an Ordinary Seaman and Able Seaman.

It seems the family story has got slightly twisted in the telling, with 'Gallipoli' being conflated with 'Aegean' and 'Salonika'.

Edited by horatio2
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Thanks Horatio that's awesome thanks for clearing it up-an elderly relative still around remembers him coming home on leave-his mother who I knew raised five boys on her own.  

 

Any chance you know what his S.G. stands for or indeed the TT.  I can find neither in the ranks. 

Much obliged TFFTO

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"S.G." = the non-substantive rating of Seaman Gunner (essentially a seaman sub-specialist qualification) which earned him an extra 3 pence per diem.

I must confess that "T.T." escapes me at the moment but it may be a torpedo sub-qual. I will keep looking until an expert appears here with the answer.

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