A Fine Collection of Medals to the South Wales Borderers 111


A Great War ‘V.C. action’ casualty group of three awarded to Private T. J. New, 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers, killed in action on the Western Front, 19 May 1917


1914-15 Star (22518 Pte T. J. New. S. Wales Bord:); British War and Victory Medals (22518 Pte. T. J. New. S. Wales Bord.); with Memorial Scroll (Pte: Thomas James New - S. Wales Borderers) mounted on a card board with photocopy of the relevant date extract from the Regimental History, edge bruising, good fine or better (3)


£200-£300


Thomas James New was born in Machen, Monmouthshire. He served during the Great War with the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers in the French theatre of war from 4 December 1915. New was killed in action on the Western Front, 19 May 1917. On the latter date the Battalion were to win a Victoria Cross as a result of Sergeant Albert White’s bravery in action at Monchy-le-Preux:


‘On May 14th it was back in the Monchy defences, C Company in the front line in Snaffle Trench along with the K.O.S.B., the others being in support in Orchard and East Trenches. The trenches were in bad condition and needed unlimited work, being full of rubbish, lacking proper fire-steps, waterlogged in places, too shallow in others, none too sanitary and unprotected by wire. Much good work was put in, but this tour of duty was made memorable by the great gallantry of one of D Company on May 19th when D was assisting the Border Regiment and the Inniskillings in an attack.


D, who were on the left of the Borders, had as objective the portion of Devil’s Trench just astride of Bit Lane. To protect D’s left a rifle grenade section was to halt near the Northern end of a disused and waterlogged trench, half-way across No Man’s Land, and give covering fire, while directly Devil’s Trench was reached bombers were to work Northward along it and so cover the erection of a strong point. A and B were to move up into Snaffle and Shrapnel Trenches when D went forward, A providing a carrying party to take wire, bombs and other supplies across to D.


Directly the British barrage started German machine guns opened from behind some wire on our left of Bit Lane, and despite the barrage they maintained a destructive fire. Men fell fast, especially as they neared the waterlogged Arrow Trench. Captain Davies led the advance with the utmost courage, running forward well ahead to give the right direction. He was well backed up by Second Lieutenant V. Jones, but they were both shot down. Sergeant [Albert] White, seeing that all depended on putting these machine guns out of action, promptly made for the nearest one which seemed to be doing most of the damage. Followed by Corporal Nowel he dashed at the party covering it, shot three and bayoneted a fourth, and was within a few yards of the gun when he caught its full discharge and went down riddled with bullets. His self-sacrifice, subsequently recognised by a posthumous V.C., diverted the fire from the other attackers for a moment, but even so it was impossible for them to reach their objective. The attack came to a standstill, the survivors sheltering in shell holes until darkness let them crawl back. Four officers and 112 men had gone over the top; only 61 got back, nearly half of whom were wounded.’ (Regimental History refers)


Private New is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.


112


Three: Sergeant W. R. Cooper, 8th (Service) Battalion, South Wales Borderers, who was killed in action on the Salonika Front on 24 May 1918, and was posthumously Mentioned in Despatches


1914-15 Star (16713 L. Sjt W. R. Cooper. S. Wales Bord:); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (16713 Sjt. W. R. Cooper. S. Wales Bord.); with Southern Counties Cross Country Association Medal, bronze, Newport Harriers lapel badge, Newport Athletic Club, fob, bronze, Newport South Wales Intertown Sports Medal 1907, bronze, reverse engraved ‘4 Miles W. Cooper’, and a Newport Rugby Club, glazed silver and enamel fob, good very fine (lot) £100-£140


M.I.D. London Gazette 28 November 1917 (Salonika).


William Richard Cooper was born in St. Woollos, Newport. He served during the Great War with the South Wales Borderers in the French theatre of war from 9 May 1915. Cooper served with the 8th (Service) Battalion in Salonika, and was killed in action, 24 May 1917. On the latter date the Battalion were on the Doiran - Vardar front, in the trenches at ‘Tomato Hill - Gog and Magog Line.’


Sergeant Cooper is buried in the Karasouli Military Cemetery, Greece.


113


Pair: Lieutenant A. L. Newman, 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers, who commanded B Company in 1918, and was twice wounded in action during the Great War


British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. A. L. Newman) very fine (2) £60-£80


Arthur Leslie Newman was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the South Wales Borderers in October 1916. He served during the Great War with the 2nd Battalion in the French theatre of war from 11 April 1917. Newman advanced to Lieutenant in April 1918 and commanded B Company during the attack on Kruiseick. He was wounded during the latter action, 29 September 1918, and according to a newspaper parer article marking his 100th birthday this was his second wound:


‘ Arthur ‘Pat’ Newman risked life and limb for King and country in 1917, when he was hit in the abdomen and 1918, in the knee... Educated at Oundle in Northamptonshire he joined the officers’ training corps and was attached to South Wales Borderers regiment.


Still a teenager he went to France to fight the Germans in WW1, spending 19 days at the front before being hit in the abdomen. A year later in 1918 he returned to the trenches and went over the top again, but he was hit behind the knee and hospitalised.


“I was very lucky to escape,” Pat confesses.


After retirement from the army he joined Bolney Royal British Legion, a group with which he has maintained close ties. In his civilian life he trained in customs, a profession which was his ticket to travel to China, where he met his wife, Helen (Nell). Her father was a governor of the province, with jurisdiction to marry them, a ceremony which he performed in Manchuria in 1923.


But the couple were evacuated from China in WW2, returning to Britain, where they settled at a farm in the Sussex countryside.’ (West Sussex County Times, 6 March 1998 refers)


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