Sgt 25788 Frederick Cecil Newall

• Age: 30
• From: Runcorn, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• D.O.W Thursday 2nd August 1917
• Commemorated at: Lijssenthoek M C Poperinghe
  Panel Ref: XVII.E.1A

Frederick Cecil was born in Runcorn in the second quarter of 1887, the son of James and Eleanor Newall. 

The 1891 Census shows the family are living at 8 Goschen Street, Everton, Liverpool. His father, James, is 30 years of age and is a clog sole maker, his mother, Eleanor, is 34 years of age, both parents were born in Runcorn as were their first seven children. Frederick is 3 years of age and lives with his seven siblings who are listed as: Peter James, aged 15 and a messenger, Edith Alice aged 12, Elizabeth aged 10, Constance Mary aged 9, Francis Leonard aged 7, Harold John aged 5 and Nellie a new born baby born in Liverpool.

By 1901 the family have moved to 70 Chirkdale Street, Kirkdale, Liverpool. His fathe ris now shown as aged 43, whilst his mother is 44 years old. They have ten children in the household; Ethel aged 23 and a confectioner, Elizabeth aged 20 a confectioner, Constance aged 19 also a confectioner, Francis, aged 17 is an apprentice clog sole maker, Harold John aged 15 is also an apprentice clog sole maker, Frederick is 13, Nellie is 10, Dorothy is six and Reginald is three. The last three children were born in Liverpool.

The 1911 Census shows the family have moved and are living at 5 Highfield Road, Walton, Liverpool. Both parents are resident at the property, his father is 53 years of age and still employed as a clog sole maker, his mother is 54 years of age. They advise that they have been married for 36 years and have had eleven children, ten of whom have survived. There are six children in the household; Elizabeth, aged 30, who is a manageress, Harold is a 25 year old analysis clerk, Frederick is 23 and a mechanical draughtsman, Nellie is 20, Dorothy is 16 and Reginald is a 13 year old scholar. 

Frederick enlisted in Liverpool joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 25788. 

From the 23^rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03^rd December 1914 when they moved into the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.

Reports of him being wounded were detailed in the local press in 1916;

His Five Brothers Serving

One Killed, Two Wounded

Mr and Mrs James Newall, of 26, Lonsborough Road, have received information that their second and youngest sons, Corporal Frank Newall and Private Reginald V. Newall, both of the King’s Liverpool Regiment, have been wounded. Corporal 
Newall was wounded in the left ear, shoulder and back, by a bursting shell, while his brother, Private Reginald Newall, was wounded in the knee by shrapnel. And is now at the convalescent home, Rock Ferry, going on well. The third son, Lance 
Corporal Harold Newall, was reported killed early in July and appeared in the  “News” some weeks ago. The eldest and fourth sons of Mr and Mrs Newall are serving with the Forces.

The report contains details of the death of his brother Harold, who was killed in action at Montauban on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme. He was 31 years of age and he now rests in Dantzig Alley British Cemetery where the inscription on his headstone reads:

"FATHER IN THY GRACIOUS KEEPING LEAVE WE NOW OUR DEAR ONE SLEEPING"

Frederick was promoted to Serjeant by the time he died of wounds on 02nd August 1917. His wounds will have been received during the opening phase of the third battle if Ypres, better known as Passchendaele. He was 30 years of age.

Frederick now rests at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery in Belgium.      

During the First World War, the village of Lijssenthoek was situated on the main communication line between the Allied military bases in the rear and the Ypres battlefields. Close to the Front, but out of the extreme range of most German field artillery, it became a natural place to establish casualty clearing stations. The cemetery was first used by the French 15th Hopital D'Evacuation and in June 1915, it began to be used by casualty clearing stations of the Commonwealth forces.

From April to August 1918, the casualty clearing stations fell back before the German advance and field ambulances (including a French ambulance) took their places.

The cemetery contains 9,901 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 24 being unidentified. There are 883 war graves of other nationalities, mostly French and German, 11 of these are unidentified. There is 1 Non World War burial here.

The only concentration burials were 24 added to Plot XXXI in 1920 from isolated positions near Poperinghe and 17 added to Plot XXXII from St. Denijs Churchyard in 1981.

Eight of the headstones are Special Memorials to men known to be buried in this cemetery, these are located together alongside Plot 32 near the Stone of Remembrance.

The cemetery, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield, is the second largest Commonwealth cemetery in Belgium.

His death was reported in the Lever Brothers magazine:

Sergeant F C Newall, 30, who had been in our service since June 1911, as a draughtsman in one of our Engineering Departments, joined the King's Liverpool Regiment in the first month of the war. He was slightly wounded on 13th June last, his right ey being narrowly missed, but after first aid he was able to rejoin his company on the same day. and his family were rejoicing in his good luck when they received, early in August, the melancholy news that he had died at a casualty clearing station from further wounds.         

Frederick is commemorated on the Lever Brothers Memorial at Port Sunlight Village. 

His brother Reginald served with the 10th Battalion (Liverpool Scottish) of The King's Liverpool Regiment and survived the war.

Another brother Francis Leonard served with the 11^th battalion King’s (Liverpool) Regiment as No 12872 and was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry, he survived the war.

His mother died in the December quarter of 1936, aged 79

His father died in the December quarter of 1938, aged 81.

Three of the brothers medals, Harold, Frederick and Reginald who survived the war, were sold as a rare grouping (The Three Newall Brothers) by Medals Of England 

https://www.medalsofengland.com/medals.php?id=140&medalid=1171

We currently have no further information on Frederick Cecil Newall, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.