Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Stephen and Mary Ann Newman. The War Diary for the 18th December recorded that the Battalion had entered the trenches at Wieltje taking over from 2nd Bn. Sherwood Foresters (2nd Bn. Durham Light Infantry on right at Potijze, 9th Bn. Norfolk Regiment on our left. There was a gap of 150 yards on our right between us and the Durham Light Infantry, this belonged to the 18th Infantry Brigade who were responsible for patrols) Distribution A Coy B9 (right firing line). B Coy B 10 (left firing line). C Coy (support line) S.10.A. D Coy (support line) S.9.A. 2 Platoons. D Coy Canal bank 2 Platoons. 6 Machine gun positions and 8 Bomb posts. The entry for today read as follows:- At about 6.20am (19th Dec) small parties of Germans were seen moving about in front of their lines but no serious attack was made. The Germans then (6.20am) commenced a furious bombardment of all our trenches front and support, all roads in rear of trenches, all houses and villages, and the main roads as far back as Poperinghe which was also shelled heavily. Ypres and Vlamertinghe were shelled heavily with all kinds of shells including some 17 inch. The Germans bombarded us with all sorts of shells, chiefly 4.8 inch, but with a large number of 8 inch as well. The batteries (English) were all shelled with gas shells (lacrimatory). Bombardment was most intense and lasted in varying intensity 48 hours the roads all round being absolute death traps. All telephonic communication between BN. HQ and companies was cut at once by shell fire and orderlies had to be used. They did their work splendidly under heavy shell fire and got through every message without casualties. St. Jean village where Bn. headquarters was (in a cellar), also our dressing station was shelled with the utmost fury. Movement being extremely difficult. Casualties 5.00am 19th Dec. to midnight 19th/20th Dec. 3 killed shell, 6 died of gas, 9 wounded, 3 missing and 53 suffering from gas. Of the gas and men who attempted to come to the dressing station in St. Jean fell on the way and were picked up insensible. The stretcher bearers worked all night carrying men from the road on anything available and collecting them on company carts etc. A Coy. (right Coy) suffered the heaviest because the gas was let off 100* from them. During the actual gas attack the Germans kept up a very heavy rifle and machine gun fire on our trenches, this was replied to, to a cautious extent but ammunition was not wasted.