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Old 11-08-14, 08:03
Jill Jill is offline
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Default (19) Newitt Manison Finn, Corporal TF/1842, 1/4th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment

19th of the Old Boys of St Wilfrid's School, Haywards Heath to die in WW1.

Born on 17 April 1897 to George and Lucy Ann Finn in Haywards Heath, Sussex, his unusual middle name Manison had been his mother’s maiden name. His father George worked as a traveller for a brewer and they lived at 10 Mill Green Road. By 1911 his father was working for a grocer while Newitt at the age of 14 was a hotel clerk, at the Station Hotel in Boltro Road near the station, then moved on to work for a photographer and had enlisted in the Territorial Army when 16.

Newitt went to Gallipoli, Turkey on 8 Aug 1915, and died of wounds received there on 8 Sep 1915 at sea aboard His Majesty’s Troopship Arcadian, and he was buried at sea, his name appears on the Helles Meorial, part XII.

At 18 years 4 months and 22 days, he appears to be the youngest of the St Wilfrid’s Old Boys to lose his life. The local paper printed this:

MID SUSSEX TIMES 21 Sep 1915
DIED OF WOUNDS CORPORAL N M FINN HAYWARDS HEATH
On Friday the report was received from the War Office by Mr & Mrs George Finn of Mill Green Road, Haywards Heath that their youngest son, Corporal N M Finn, 1/4th Batt. Royal Sussex Regiment was wounded in action at the Dardanelles on August 22nd. This news was followed on Saturday by the sadder intimation that the poor lad died at sea, on board HMT Arcardian, on September 8th, as a result of his wounds. Newitt Manison Finn was a smart, intelligent lad, keen at his work and popular with his fellows. He was an Old Boy of St Wilfrid’s Schools, and was at one time solo boy in St Wilfrid’s Church Choir. For two years he was employed in Messrs Goldings’ office at the Station Hotel, and later he went to learn the commercial photography business at Messrs Bertram Tugwell & Co‘s establishment in Franklynn Road. Formerly he belonged to the St Wilfrid’s Company of the Church Lads’ Brigade, in which he held the rank of Lance Corporal, and he left that some two years ago to join the local Territorials. Having qualified he went to camp during the last week of July, 1914, and when war was declared he went to Newhaven, and was sent to Horsham to drill raw recruits. One cannot but regret that so many promising young men of his stamp have been called upon to sacrifice their lives, even though it be for such a noble cause.


The Sussex Agricultural Express printed this on 24th Sep 1915:

DEATH OF CORPORAL FINN
Another member of the 1/4th Royal Sussex Regiment has passed away, in the person of Corporal Finn son of Mr & Mrs Finn of Mill Green Road. He was wounded in action on August 22nd and died at sea aboard HMS “Arcadian.” He was a smart young fellow. He worked with Mr Bertram Tugwell the photographer and prior to that was in the office of Messrs. Golding. He was an old choir boy of St Wilfrid’s and also belonged to the Church Lads’ Brigade. He joined the Territorials some two years ago. His parents have been the recipients of sympathy from many quarters.


Newitt’s father died the following year and his mother three years later. His sister Ethel and her husband had a baby boy on the 19th October 1915 and named him Newitt. Another of his nephews, Geoffrey Bashford, was to lose his life at sea in 1942 when his ship was torpedoed.

His sister Louisa as his legatee received £3 3s 2d and £3 10s War Gratuity while his father was sent £3.

Last edited by Jill; 19-01-15 at 17:01. Reason: war gratuity/legatee
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