Newton, william ellis (1919-1943)

[spidge]

NEWTON, WILLIAM ELLIS (1919-1943), air force officer, was born on 8 June 1919 at St Kilda, Melbourne, son of Australian-born parents Charles Ellis Newton, dentist, and his second wife Minnie, née Miller. Bill was educated to Intermediate certificate level at Melbourne Church of England Grammar School, where his masters regarded him as having qualities of leadership. Six ft 3 ins (191 cm) tall and 16 stone (102 kg) in weight, he was a fine all-round sportsman who played cricket for the Victorian second XI. He worked in the silk-warehouse of Makower, McBeath & Co. Pty Ltd before enlisting in the Royal Australian Air Force on 5 February 1940. Newton qualified as a pilot and was commissioned in June. After serving as a flying instructor, he was posted in May 1942 to No.22 Squadron which was based in Port Moresby and equipped with Boston light bombers.
In fifty-two operational sorties—90 per cent of them flown through anti-aircraft fire—Flight Lieutenant Newton displayed exceptional courage and a remarkable determination to inflict the utmost damage on the enemy. Disdaining evasive tactics, he always 'went straight at his objective' to achieve maximum accuracy with his weapons. On one occasion his aircraft's starboard engine failed over the target, but he completed the attack and then flew 160 nautical miles (296 km) to a safe airfield. His exploits earned him the nickname of 'The Firebug': 'Wherever he flew he left a big fire behind him'.
On 16 March 1943, while leading an attack on an enemy base near Salamaua, New Guinea, Newton dived through intense and accurate shell-fire. Although his aircraft was repeatedly hit, he held his course and bombed the target from low level, destroying numerous buildings and supply-dumps. The plane was severely damaged—its fuselage and wings torn, engines hit, fuel tanks pierced and one tyre punctured—but he managed to nurse the machine back home and land it safely.
Despite that harrowing experience, two days later Newton returned to the same locality for another strike. This time his target was a single building, which he attacked through a barrage of fire. At the instant his bombs scored a direct hit on the building, his aircraft burst into flames. With great skill, he brought the aeroplane down in the sea about 1000 yards (914 m) offshore. From the air his squadron colleagues saw two of the Boston's three crew members swim ashore.
Newton was one of the survivors captured by the Japanese. They beheaded him on 29 March 1943 at Salamaua. For his extraordinary fearlessness and leadership he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. He was the only member of the R.A.A.F. to win the decoration in the Pacific theatre. Details of his murder, recorded in a captured Japanese diary, shocked Australians when newspapers reported the atrocity in October 1943. After the war, Newton's remains were recovered and buried in Lae war cemetery.
Select Bibliography

J. C. Waters, Valiant Youth (Syd, 1945); D. Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force 1939-1942 (Canb, 1962); A. Stephens, High Fliers (Canb, 1996); Australian Women's Weekly, 30 Oct 1943; RAAF News, Mar 1996; Sunday Sun, 29 Mar 1953; Guardian, 29 Mar 1953. More on the resources
Author: Alan Stephens
Print Publication Details: Alan Stephens, 'Newton, William Ellis (Bill) (1919 - 1943)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 15, Melbourne University Press, 2000, pp 470-471.

[liverpool annie]

Originally Posted by spidge

NEWTON, WILLIAM ELLIS (1919-1943),

Newton, William Ellis (1919-1943), an Australian airman, was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award for valor in the British armed services, after his death in World War II (1939-1945). From May 1942 to March 1943, he completed 52 operational sorties (combat missions) flying Boston bombers in New Guinea, at all times displaying outstanding courage and tenacity. While attacking a target on Salamua Isthmus on March 18, 1943, Newton's aircraft was shot down. The Japanese captured him and his gunner and, on March 29, executed both men.

HowStuffWorks "Newton, William Ellis"

On 16 March 1943, Newton — now a Flight Lieutenant — led an attack on Salamaua in which his aircraft was hit repeatedly by Japanese anti-aircraft fire. In spite of this he continued through heavy fire and dropped his bombs at low level on buildings and fuel dumps. Newton managed to get his crippled machine back to base.

Two days later, he made an attack on Salamaua with five other Bostons and hit his designated target, but this time the aircraft burst into flames. Newton managed to ditch it in the sea. He and his wireless operator/air gunner, Flt Sgt John Lyon, survived the ditching and were observed swimming for shore.
Newton and Lyon made contact with two friendly natives, but were soon captured by a Japanese patrol and taken back to Salamaua where they were interrogated until May 20, before being moved to Lae, according to official Japanese records. They were interrogated by the feared Japanese military police, the Kempeitai. John Lyon was bayoneted to death shortly afterwards.
Newton was later returned to Salamaua. On March 29, 1943, he was beheaded by the Japanese naval sub-lieutenant who had captured him. He was buried initially in Salamaua Cemetery, but in January 1946, was moved to Lae War Cemetery. In July 1948, the body of John Lyon was discovered near Lae airstrip. He was buried with full military honours near Newton.

[Antipodean Andy]

Have been reading a lot about him in Wings of Destiny by Charles Page as he, of course, flew Bostons with Charles Learmonth. He was quite a character but knowing what happens to him adds a touch of sadness when reading about his adventures. He was always out on the town and promising to have a "quiet night" but would be round at the Learmonths the next morning (before 22 Sqn headed to NG) borrowing a few pound. "His" aircraft was named Spirit of Sport and outlasted him as he was not flying her when he and his crew were shot down. Two crew members were seen by the other Bostons on the raid swimming to shore after Newton had angled the aircraft as far away as possible from the Japanese. For a while after the loss, it was not known whether one of the swimmers was Newton as his mates were unable to ID them.

Charles Page's book is excellent and really fills a hole regarding The Boston Boys. I haven't been able to get hold of Newton's biography for a reasonable price yet but the Page book certainly makes up for it.