Enlisted with Canadian Engineers and

[Tony Lund]

On the 14th July 1917, the Deaths Column of the Holmfirth Express carried the news that Private George Newsome of British Columba, Canada, had been killed in action on the 3rd June.

George Newsome was said to be 1st Canadian Contingent which suggests to me a 1914 volunteer, and added that he had enlisted in the Canadian Royal Engineers, I believe he died serving in the British Army’s Royal Engineers. Certainly the only George Newsome killed on the reported date is in the Royal Engineers. He lived at New Westminster, British Columbia, and his parents lived at Saint Helens.

The notice concluded with the words “Cousin of the above soldier.” The notice above announced the death of Private J. Singleton of Wood Nook, Holmfirth, who died of wounds on Saturday 30th June 1917, at a hospital in France.

George Newsome.

Is this possible? Or do I have the wrong man here. This George Newsome has a wife in Carnarvon, but he is the only Engineer and the only man with the correct date. I have noticed before that by the time the wife's details were collected by the CWGC a lot of them had moved from their wartime addresses and some had remarried so anything is possible.

If this is the right man he enlisted in the Canadian army died in the British army, lived in Canada, his parents lived in Lancashire, he had relatives in Yorkshire and his wife lived in Wales. Possible I suppose. Is a transfer from Canadian to British Royal Engineers something anyone has come across before?

Tony.

[Tony Lund]

There does not seem to be a record of a George Newsome with the Canadians, which is odd, and only one mic for a Royal Engineer of that name, although he has two serial numbers, four digits and six.

It might just be a case of him returning to the United Kingdom on the outbreak of the war and the message poster thinking this was part and parcel of the 1st Contingent.

Tony.

George Newsome.