Pte Stanley Evershed Newman

Stanley was the son of Walter Newman, who ran a successful saddler's business at 103 High Street. Stanley was apprenticed to an Ironmonger after he left school, but this would be cut short by the first world war, when he joined the Essex Yeomanry.

He joined the Essex Yeomanry on the first day of the war and went immediately to training, he had just one day of leave between then and landing in Francee - which probably occured on the 1st December 1914.

Expecting to be entering a traditional war where cavalry could strike quickly in battle, they were shocked to find trenches already laid out from Switzerland to the Belgian coast. This meant that the Essex Yeomanry could not be used in their traditional role for most of the war. In a world where they needed to find a new place on the battlefield, the regiment spent their first few months as regular soldier in the trenches on the front line.

On 13th May 1915, the Regiment took part in the Battle for Frezenberg Ridge, this battle itself being part of the Second Battle of Ypres. The battle began on 8th May 1915 with a huge artillery barrage on British lines, presumably during which Walter and his fellow soldiers would have been hiding away in dugouts. There was then a sustained German attack over several days, with heavy casualties - the assault did not stop until the 13th. During this, the Essex Yeomanry suffered 161 casualties. Walter was reported as being seen wounded on the battlefield and was missing at the roll call on 14th May. It was later confirmed that he had been killed in action.

His brother Charles also fought in the Essex Yeomanry, presumably fighting alongside Walter in the same battle - his brother survived the war.