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James John Newman – Able Seaman R.N.V.R.
James John Newman was born in Hoxton, in the northeast of the City of London,
in July 1866 (or possibly 1867). Pre-war, in 1911 he was married, with six
children, living in Leytonstone, in east London. At this time, professionally
he was a clerk in the City’s Stock Exchange.
Nothing seems to have changed materially by the summer of 1915. Although single men were by then under severe
pressure to join the colours, especially the young, fit and healthy, he would
not have been in this position. Nevertheless, he joined the London Division
of the R.N.V.R. voluntarily, on 14th June 1915. Too old for active service, on President’s
books, he was rated as an Able Seaman in the Anti-Aircraft Corps.
Originally only envisaged for the defence of central London after
discussion at Cabinet level in early September, the R.N.V.R.’s Anti-Aircraft
Corps came into existence in October 1914. Originally set up to be manned by
part-timers, they were under the orders of the Air Department of the
Admiralty. (In the early months, the searchlights were operated by police
special constables.) Although their original regulations were less than
brilliantly framed, two later reports confirm that they were only then to man
a small number of searchlights on alternate days, or nights: as the
volunteers ‘wished’. Pay was at the usual naval
rates (when on duty). While they would receive grants, their uniforms, such
as they were, had to be purchased – at cost prices.
In contradiction of the regulations (above), it has been stated that
there was a decision taken on the day of formation that the newly-recruited
reservists would also operate a handful of guns that had been in the hands of
the Royal Garrison Artillery. (It is worth noting that R.N. pensioner gunnery
ratings became the gun-layers and instructors and torpedo ratings supervised
searchlight operation.) Anti-aircraft defence for the naval facilities at
Chatham and Sheerness were put under the independent command of the
Commander-in-Chief Nore. In mid-October there was a decision that other areas
that were under the control of the military authorities would continue for
‘all defended Ports’. At the end of the month a
reorganisation of the gun and searchlight stations was carried out: even
although full crews had not even been recruited yet. Training for the first
detachment of London’s Anti-Aircraft Corps on an
one-pounder gun and also using an one-inch aiming
rifle began at the gunnery school at Shoeburyness, Essex.
Also, Sheffield being an important munitions centre, one detachment
was sent there as of November. All sorts of practicalities, such as the need
for lodgings and furniture for those far from their homes, also began to be
addressed.
Dover had been bombed on a very minor basis on December 21st and
24th. On Christmas Day one Kaiserliche
Marine Friedrichshafen F.F.29 seaplane ‘flew over Sheerness, Chatham,
Gravesend, Tilbury and Erith’. Fire was opened by
the Medway and Thames guns, expending 339 anti-aircraft shells. Three British
aircraft from Eastchurch and the Isle of Grain pursued it. The fastest
engaged the German with machine-gun fire over Tilbury, until the Briton’s gun
jammed. (Both aircraft came under fire
from the gun batteries below.) Subsequently, the intruder dropped two bombs
on Cliffe, Kent.
The first naval Zeppelin raid on England occurred on the night of
19-20th January 1915. L6 turned back due to a motor failure, but L3
and L4 continued on for Great Yarmouth. Contrary to German claims,
little was attained.
Apart from expansion in London to a six-mile radius of Charing Cross
as of late December 1914, a decision was taken a month later to have guns
mounted on lorries for mobile defence. Also, by February 1915 this reserve
had expanded to cover defended ports and naval dockyards and the rules of
engagement had been thought over and clarified. Another re-organisation
followed in the spring and the ‘existing force’ was split into full-timers
and part-timers: with adjustments to pay and allowances for the latter. Among
these cost-cutting exercises, not only were those on searchlights liable to
be part-timers, their time on duty was cut to the dark hours only. Kaiserliche
Marine Zeppelin raids on England’s East Coast began again in mid-April
and on May 10th Southend, Essex, was bombed heavily. (An army machine,
LZ38, had also been active over Ipswich and Southend through April and
May.) London received its first raid on the evening of May 31st. LZ38
entered the capital’s airspace from Essex, dropped ‘89 incendiary bombs and
30 small grenades of 5 lb. each’ in the East End and exited the same way. Six
people were killed and 35 injured.
Further raids by both military and naval Zeppelins followed. None,
however, reached London.
A report of mid-July pointed out presumably that in London there were
only ‘six 3” guns mounted, and two more 3” Stations, Finsbury and West Ham’
that were ‘complete, and only awaiting delivery of their guns’. It was hoped
that searchlights would ‘prevent aimed bomb dropping’ by Zeppelins. And,
while training was being conducted at the gunnery school at Shoeburyness and some
officers had spent three weeks at Excellent, the gunnery school on
Whale Island, Portsmouth, there was little ammunition for practice firing. A
report on the air defence, by the newly-appointed Admiral Sir Percy Scott
R.N. that was penned in September was scathing. Another report that month
shows that most of the guns in inner London (from the City to Whitehall) were
of lesser calibres – 1-pounders, one 1½-pounder and 6-pounders. Another of
Admiral Scott’s detailed reports, in mid-November 1915, was less than
sanguine on the air defence of London. An important point he made was that
the capital city’s defence needed to be on England’s coastlines. Expansion
continued, with new control, gun and searchlight stations: many of which came
under the control of military authorities.
One of four Zeppelins that began a raid on the night of August 17-18th
managed to get to London. However, due to navigational errors, instead of
bombing the capital’s centre, L10 hit Walthamstow and Leytonstone:
killing ten civilians and injuring another 48. Although fire was put up by
the R.N.V.R. defenders, L10 was not hit.
During the evening of September 7th three military Zeppelins, based in
Belgium, entered British airspace. One was first seen in Clacton, Essex and
‘wandered over Suffolk’, inflicting ‘slight damage’ on farm buildings.
But, SL2 had bombed Wapping, the Isle of Dogs, Deptford, Greenwich,
Westcombe Park, Charlton and Blackheath. LZ74 ditched a considerable
number of bombs on Cheshunt, Hertfordshire before then bombing Bermondsey,
Rotherhithe and New Cross. Seemingly, LZ74 also dropped one bomb ‘near
Fenchurch Street’. Another 18 people were killed and 38 injured. The
reservists of the R.N.V.R. A.A.C. did not see the Zeppelins.
They were in action the following night though. Wireless intercepts
and decrypts from Room OB40 meant that there was warning of another naval
Zeppelin raid. One of the four, L11, broke down in the North Sea.
Tracked, the others crossed the English coast in Norfolk and Yorkshire. Apart
from rather haphazard attacks in Norfolk by L14 and near
Middlesbrough-on-Tees by L9, the main effort was against central
London. Among the ‘15 high explosive and 59 incendiary bombs’ observed, one
was dropped on Russell Square, Bloomsbury. This airship, L13, was
illuminated by searchlights and ineffective fire was opened on it. Further
bombs were then dropped on the City. Twenty more
civilians were killed and 86 injured.
Further nightly raids were carried out by military and naval
Zeppelins: ending on the night of the 15-16th. The earlier ones had
concentrated on East Anglia and were ineffective. London had been the target
for the last two of these, but a combination of unhelpful weather conditions
and naval anti-aircraft fire stymied these efforts.
In January 1916 a decision had been taken to improve the reporting
system further and so, various packets of land in London were to be taken
over under the Defence of the Realm Act. Discussed the December before, as of
February, the army became responsible for anti-aircraft defence. Since the
army was short of personnel these naval reservists were to be retained in the
short-term, but there was to be no further recruitment.
Among a series of memos issued in early 1916 was a dire warning that
intoxicating liquors were not allowed on any station. Cider, however, was not
regarded as intoxicating. Another that may, or may not, have been connected
dealt with lavatories that were ‘some distance’ from their places of duty.
‘Earth Closets’ were to be provided – but only for ‘occasions of emergency
only’!
Most of these dealt with matters such as operational procedures, gun
drills and stowage of ammunition though. Also, by this time there was far
more relating to technical details of gunnery within surviving records that
give the impression of the corps becoming professional.
As of late February 1916, with upcoming conscription, there was to be
a clear-out of the ‘half-time ratings’ of the London A.A.C. reservists.
Single and married men of military age were affected, but were allowed to
‘attest in uniform at Scotland Yard Recruiting Office up to the evening of
1st March’. Those that maintained that ‘they had been medically rejected for
the Army were mustered, and had to produce their Official Medical Rejection
Forms’. All
officers and men on ‘unpaid Reserve’ were also to be discharged at the end of
February. Challenges, including within Parliament, followed. As of May,
recruitment re-commenced, but only for those over military age, or medically
unfit for military service.
The first Zeppelin destruction from shore-based anti-aircraft guns
occurred on March 31st. Purfleet’s guns damaged L15 with shrapnel at
9.45 p.m. and the airship ‘broke her back and fell in the sea in Knock Deep’
at 11 p.m.
Over the summer there had been minor changes, such as in terminology.
Late in August, the London defences were ‘reconstructed’,
with the intention of standardising the weapons as three-inch guns. And, on
September 1st those that had served under the Naval Discipline Act, found themselves
under the Army Act.
Although there were many Zeppelin raids over Britain throughout
this year, as far as can be determined from the sources to hand, it was not
until the night of August 24-25th that London was assaulted again. The south
side of the Thames was bombed variously by L31: with more death and
destruction from the air.
Improvements in efficiency in London’s defences were to be seen in the
events of the night of September 23-24th. Two of the Germans’ most up-to-date
Zeppelins, L32 and L33, were destroyed partly by gun-fire,
along with defensive aircraft. L33 had been damaged by gunfire just
after midnight while over East London, was also attacked by a Royal Flying
Corps fighter and the Zeppelin landed in rural Essex an hour later.
Zeppelin raids continued on London and elsewhere that autumn. Even
although they were far from effective, damage was considerable and
scattered widely. The numbers killed were also stacking up.
Apart from another comb-out of personnel, yet another reorganisation
of the London stations was proposed late in 1916. By this time, as per the
September intention, the central sections had been equipped with three-inch
high-angle quick-firing guns. Also, training was becoming far more realistic.
Overwhelmingly, as of early January 1917, the A.A.C. personnel were to
serve on a full-time basis. This required the appointment of medical
officers. Also, it was ordered mid-month that all ‘spare’ ground at
searchlight and gun stations were to be used in the growing of food.
The reorganisations were seemingly never-ending, with another in
April-May and yet again in late June. Technical improvements, such as barrage
firing on sound, followed on in autumn. Reduced charge ammunition was also
introduced in October, in order to reduce wear on gun barrels. A Zeppelin attack on London had been
mounted on May 23-24th, but through high wind and heavy cloud, had missed the
capital completely. Nevertheless, by
then the Germans were also experimenting with raids with fixed-wing Gotha
G.IV aircraft. Twelve had intended bombing London on May 25th. Although the
capital was spared through cloud-cover again, English Channel-ports were hit
instead: with heavy casualties. The first daylight Gotha raid on
London that succeeded was on June 13th and the loss of life was grievous – at
162. This included 18 children at
school in Poplar.
Since the British defences were improving, the Gothas shifted to night
attacks in early September. The first on London was on the 4-5th, attempted
by eleven machines. Five reached the capital. Later in the month, on the
night of the 24-25th sixteen were despatched, with five getting to London.
Even although the Germans encountered all sorts of technical problems, these
raids continued nightly through to the beginning of October. As well as
causing civilian casualties, Londoners took shelter in underground stations
and other places thought safer. Vast amounts of A.A. ammunition was
expended, for next to no result.
There was one final Zeppelin attack against London on the night of
October 19-20th. Utilising two innovations – an increased operating altitude
and non-reflective paint – it was hoped that they would be able to bomb with
impunity from the A.A. defences. However, London’s searchlights were switched
off and the raid failed miserably.
Unfavourable weather in November kept the aircraft away. On this
clearing, two Gothas were shot down by A.A. gunfire, with more probably
damaged, during a raid of December 5-6th. The prisoners taken were all said
to have reckoned that the ‘Barrage fire was extremely effective’. The reservists
would get more practice later in the month, on December 18th, the first of
‘very large’ German aircraft (Riesenflugzeuge) were used.
Even at this time, the military authorities were planning to reduce
the numbers of the naval reservists. This was to occur on 1st February
1918...
Absolutely nothing has been found on how and where Able Seaman Newman
was employed in the defence of London. Considering how important the docks
were, even by the spring of 1915 there was little covering these. On paper at
least, there was one gun at Tower Bridge, with one searchlight each at
Wapping and Bermondsey. Slightly further up the Thames there was also a gun
at Temple. To the north of the most-westward docks was also a gun and
searchlight, at Clapton Orient Football Ground. This would have been the closest
station to where James Newman lived. But, with his professional links to the City it is just as likely that he served part, or full-time
there. Associated with Gresham College, there were searchlights on Cheapside
and King William Street and a gun at the Cannon Street Hotel; along with a
gun in Saint Helens Place and a searchlight at London Wall.
According to his service card, Able Seaman New was discharged on 1st
February 1918. This was said to have been due to ill health, one of
the few reasons allowed for the discontinuance of service – as they had
signed on until the end of hostilities. A Silver War Badge numbered R.N.
24201 (as can be seen on the linked right-hand photograph) was issued six
days later. In due course he also received the British War Medal.
It can be seen that Mr. Newman’s life remained stable post-war. In
1921 he was a clerk for a stocks and shares dealer in the City
and two of his daughters were still living in the family home. One of his
sons, was a steward in the Royal Navy and seems to have been on leave from
Chatham when the Census was taken. As might have been expected he was retired
in 1939 and living in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. His death was, apparently, in
1943. |
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