Driver Jack Newsom

Jack was born in Mitcham in 1885. His mother was named Adelaide and his father Thomas Newsom was a Cab Driver/Groom. In 1891 when Jack was five years old, the family were living at Church Place Mitcham. The rest of the family were Adelaide 8, George 3, and Emily aged 1. By 1901 the family had moved to 18 Queens Road, Mitcham and had grown to include Walter 8, Lavinia 6, and Arthur aged 3. Jack was now 15, and presumably still at school as the census only records his father’s profession.

Jack met and married Ellen Elizabeth Cook at St Peter and Paul Church, Mitcham on Christmas Eve, 1905. Jack was employed as a Carman and was living at the family’s new home at 16 Queens Road, Mitcham at the time.

The 1911 Census shows that Jack and his wife Ellen were now living at 48 Pincott Road, Merton and had two children. Nellie born in 1906 and John born in 1910. The couple went on to have 3 more children – Ivy born in 1914 and David born in in 1916. Another child Madaline was born and baptised in 1912, but presumably died young as her name is not included in the list of next of kin on his attestation papers.

Jack enlisted at Wimbledon with the 860th Company Army Service Corps on 5 December 1914. He was aged 30 years, and his height was recorded as 5ft 4ins, weighing in at 118 lbs. He was working as a carman at Church Farm, Morden at the time, and a letter of reference supplied by his employer stated that he was honest and good working.

His Service number T3/030754 indicates that he served as a driver with the Mounted Brigade Supply column. The men of the ASC provided food, ammunition, equipment and vehicles to the armed forces, and were considered to be the unsung heroes. Jack served with the Horse Transport, and soldiers who served with them usually had the letter T as a prefix to their Service Number. Jack’s father had worked as a Cab Driver and Groom, so perhaps Jack was used to working with horses.

On 12 January 1917Jack embarked on the troop ship HT Aeneas at Devenport bound for Salonika, reaching there on 2 February. A few months later on 4 October 1917, he was admitted to the 28th General Hospital in Salonika suffering with malaria. Malaria was rife in Salonika during the campaign, and it was said that two thirds of admissions to the hospitals were due to this disease. The authorities tried to combat this with daily doses of quinine and mosquito nets for the soldiers, and even tried to introduce a species of fish, said to eat mosquito larvae into the local waters.

Jack’s Service Records reveal that, according to a medical report dated 24 June 1915, Jack had reported a disability which had originated previous to his enlistment (lung trouble and rheumatism since the age of 17). The report recommended that he be discharged as permanently medically unfit. It is not clear if this was implemented and that he rejoined his company later, or if this recommendation was ignored. However, he was still serving in the army when he died of malaria in Salonika almost two years later on 7 October 1917.

Jack’s widow Ellen was living at their last known address - 34 Queens Road, Mitcham not far from Jack’s parents’ home at number 16. As sole beneficiary she would have received his last pay, and War Gratuity.

Jack is buried at Salonika Military Cemetery, Greece. His grave is marked with a cross, with the inscription “Missed by One and All”. He is also commemorated locally on the Mitcham War Memorial.