East & West Africa Medal 1887-99

Awarded to Captain Edward John Kendal Newman RN (1860-1941). Obverse: Head of Queen Victoria in a diadem and veil (left). Legend: 'VICTORIA REGINA'. Reverse: a group of soldiers and Africans fighting in the bush for their fallen comrades. Suspended from a bar, and yellow ribbon with a broad black edge and two narrow black central stripes. Bars: 'BENIN 1897'. Inscription on edge: 'E.J.K.NEWMAN, ACT.LIEUT.R.N.R.H.M.S.PHILOMEL'.

Lieutenant Edward John Kendal Newman (1860-1941) was born in Gravesend, the son of John Manby Newman, a clerk in HM Customs. In 1878 he was apprenticed for three years to shipowners Donald Currie & Co. obtaining a master’s certificate in 1890. He was appointed a Sub Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve in 1891, completing naval training whilst serving as second mate on Union Castle ships, ‘Garth Castle’ and ‘Norham Castle’ sailing to the Cape. In 1896, he served with the Royal Navy as Acting Lieutenant RNR. After brief service in ‘Latona’ and ‘Penelope’ in August 1896, he joined HMS ‘Philomel’ on the Cape of Good Hope station. She participated in the brief Anglo-Zanzibar War and the punitive expedition against Benin in February 1897. During the latter campaign, men from ‘Philomel’ were involved in the capture of Sapobo (Sapoba) on the Jamieson River and Newman was mentioned in despatches for this action. However they did not take part in the attack on Benin City. Newman was on the books of ‘Monarch’, guard ship on the Cape Station from August 1898 to May 1900. During this time, he served on shore with the Naval Brigades during the South African (Boer War) and received the Queen’s South Africa medal with six clasps. His last active service was in ‘Amphitrite’ on the China Station from 1902 to 1905 when he retired with the rank of Commander. In 1911 he was working as a shipbuilder’s storekeeper at Pembroke Dock. Newman was recalled in August 1914 and in 1919 was made a Commander of the British Empire ‘For valuable services on the staff of the Principal Naval Transport Officer Thames and later as Divisional Transport Officer, Southampton.’ After the war, now a captain, Newman worked as a London shipbroker. In 1939 he was boarding in Clacton and he died in Wellingborough in 1941.