Photo: J. Brown
1914 + 1939
1918 - 1945
Those honoured here
died in the service
of their country
and lie buried elsewhere
in this cemetery
Shoeing Smith H. Jennings
Royal Field Artillery 3.11.1918
Sergeant N. Smith
Royal Air Force 3.9.1945
Private J. Walker
Northumberland Fusiliers 11.7.1916
Simon Glancey has submitted the following:
Sgt Smith was killed when Vickers Wellington B.10 LP657 of 26 O.T.U. (Operational Training Unit) flew into the ground near Spalding on a night navigation exercise, killing all five crew.
From the Newcastle Evening Chronicle Saturday 08/09/1945 page 8:
Killed in bomber crash
Sergt. Newton Smith, R.A.F., son of Mrs. Smith, of 17, Beech Grove, Bedlington, was one of the members of the Wellington crew killed this week when their bomber crashed in a field between Balding and Bourne, Lincolnshire.
Sergt. Smith, a chemist, of Bedlington, was married two years ago, and had just returned to duty after being home on leave.
The crew list of the Wellington is as follows:
ALLEN, Clifford Bertram - Sgt (Radio Op [Air]) - 1896397 - RAFVR - Lambeth Cemetery, London
HUYGENS, Peter Lawrence - F/O - 177385 - RAFVR - Weybridge Cemetery, Surrey
JESSUP, Sydney Charles - F/S (Nav) - 1605504 - RAFVR - Streatham Park Cemetery, Surrey
SMITH, Newton - Sgt (Air Bomber) - 1676114 - RAFVR - Bedlington (Netherton Lane ) Cemetery, Northumberland
WRIGHT, Derek Joseph - Sgt (A/G) - 3050042 - RAFVR - Whitnash (St. Margaret) Churchyard Extension, Warwickshire
Susan Miller has sent this e-mail:
This has taken me YEARS of hunting on the internet etc. and finally I have found this entry commemorating this gentleman’s death. (And this led to me finding out as to HOW they died)
You see my Uncle died with him. Clifford Bertram Allen aged just 20 yrs old, and who was married just about 6 weeks earlier. (I don’t yet have that date)
My mother, who was much younger than him, had told us that he had died when the plane crashed into a potato field in Peterborough. Well … it wasn’t that far away I suppose from Jobson’s Bridge, Pode Hole.
I don’t know if the gentleman, Sgt Newton Smith still has family alive, but if they are and are able to be found they may be interested to know that I have photos of my Uncle’s wedding where his ‘mates’ from the RAF were all with him … and quite possibly I might have one therefore that has Sgt Newton Smith in it. It might be too long ago now …or someone might find some comfort in it. I am not sure if you can help? If you can .. please email me and I will send copies to you or the family.
It’s a shame it has taken so long to be able to find exactly where their plane came down, as my mother was devastated by his death all those years ago and never stopped wanting to know exactly where he died and how. Unfortunately she died back in 2007 but I like to believe that they have met up and she and he are happy and together again!
Thank you for your time, and care."
Sue Hills has responded with the following:
"I have been passed the information of your NEWMP site by a message from Simon Glancey through Ancestry.
Newton Smith was my uncle. Sadly he died before I was born. He was a qualified pharmacist and owned a Pharmacy in Bedlington.
He was the son of Joseph A. and Louise Smith who lived at17 Beech Grove Bedlington.
He was married on 30th December 1942 to my father’s sister Winifred Margaret Fitzpatrick in Ashington Northumberland. My Auntie never remarried neither did they have any children.
I would love to see the photo that Susan Miller has to see if uncle Newton is on it and to put faces to the people he flew with.
I understand he was a navigator. I did get a copy of his service record but it gave very little information.
