COLONEL PHILIP NEWTON,
MBE. FMA. FRSA. 1920 - 1998
The Royal Sussex Regiment 1939 - 1972
'HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE'

A TRIBUTE

Philip Newton was born in 1920 and educated at Brighton Grammar School where he quickly showed leadership and sporting qualities, winning the 'Humphrey Cup' twice and subsequently becoming the school Head Prefect and CQMS of their Officer Training Corps. He represented the school at cricket, football, athletics and rifle shooting. He later signed on as an amateur with Brighton and Hove Football Club. During his Army career, he took up gliding and became secretary of the BOAR Gliding Club (1945-1948), was Vice Chairman of Army Football (1966-1968), was a Class 1 Referee (1953-1970), played Cricket for his Regiment and became a member of the MCC in 1969. He was also a keen golfer and was Club Champion of the Chislehurst Golf Club in 1973.

He entered the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, in January 1939, but due to the outbreak of war that year, training at Sandhurst was cut short and Philip 'Pip' Newton was commissioned 2/Lt in October 1939, and joined The Royal Sussex Regiment. Various postings followed and in November 1940 he was promoted to Captain. Later, during 1941, at the age of just over 21, he was the youngest officer this century to be promoted to Acting Lt Colonel.

In the Western Desert, he saw action in the battles of Alam Halfa and Alamein. After Alamein he was on the directing staff of an Officer Training School in Palestine but became bored and volunteered for Force 133 (SOE) where he completed his parachute training. After returning to the UK in 1944 he joined 2nd SAS and for D Day was appointed to the staff of Headquarters 21 Army Group where he served in Normandy and Brussels. In 1945 he attended the Staff College and he rejoined HQ 21 Army Group as the Staff Officer dealing with the disbandment of the Wehrmacht.

A tour with the Parachute Regiment followed in 1948. In February 1951 he was appointed DAQMG Suez North District in El Ballah and later HQ 3 Infantry Brigade at Ferry Point, Ismailia. Whilst in the Canal Zone was awarded the MBE for his part in the Suez Emergency. He was with the 1st Royal Sussex in Korea in 1957 and then moved to Gibraltar as Second-in-Command to Lt Col Glennie. He was Officer Commanding The Depot at Chichester from 1958 to 1960 when he was appointed to command the 1st Battalion then stationed in Northern Ireland. From 1962 to 1965 he was GSO1, HQ 17 Division in Malaya and Borneo. During 1964-1965 he was in South Vietnam as an official observer of the war. Promoted to Colonel in 1965 he held Staff appointments in the Ministry of Defence until he retired in 1972. During his period with the MoD he was, for two years, UK representative at the United States Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. One of his students at the Staff College was Lt. Col. (later Five Star General) Norman Schwarzkopf, of Gulf War fame. Col. Newton retired from the Army in August 1972 and was appointed secretary of the Army Museum's Ogilby Trust.

Whilst in this capacity and doing some research, he read a number of letters in 'Soldier' magazine from veterans of the Suez Canal Emergency conflict complaining that no medal had been awarded for this operation. Having had first hand knowledge of the conditions in the Suez Canal Zone, sharing the views of the veterans, and no longer being constrained as a serving officer, he contacted some of the writers of those letters and organised the medal campaign on behalf of all Suez veterans. This was in 1974. He realised an injustice had been done and began to devote much of his time researching documents, approaching influential friends
whom he had met during his career, making contacts with MPs, and generally working hard for long hours on behalf of the veterans for recognition of their service in the Suez Canal Zone crisis 1951-1954. Although coming against many disappointing setbacks he persevered with his endeavours. One of his first openings was to obtain support from the Member of Parliament Jeffery (now Sir Jeffery) Johnston Smith who helped gather more MPs to support him. With the help of other like-minded veterans who had joined him, the campaign grew in strength. Correspondence with more MPs and friends, letters in newspapers, and the magazines
such as the 'Soldier' and 'Medal News' publicised what was happening and many veterans were now joining them in the cause. Of course, in those days there was no such thing as the Internet and emails, all had to be done by phone or by post, which compared with today took much effort and was very time consuming.

On 19th March 1998 'Pip' Newton led an eight man delegation of Suez veterans who put their case forward to J Spellar MP, the then Defence Minister, and  during the hour long meeting at Westminster Hall, presented to him a 20,000 signature petition of support for the medal campaign. The petition had been organised by Tom Radford. Supporting the Colonel at the meeting were: Brigadier (Rtd) Stuart Ryder, Charles Golder, Len Oliver, Danny Davenport, Cyril Blackburn, Tom Radford and Peter Newton (no relation to the Colonel). The following day Col Pip Newton was taken ill and on 11th April suffered a paralysing stroke, brought on, it is believed, by pressure of all the work and efforts he put into the campaign for a period of 25 years. He died on 30th September 1998, at his internment at Chilcomb, Hants, 6th October 1998, two buglers from his Regiment sounded the Last Post.

'Pip' Newton could be called the 'Father' of the medal campaign. His leadership, outstanding groundwork and tenacious efforts against this injustice on behalf of those who served in the Suez Emergency have been invaluable and is very much appreciated by all those who are still working for recognition.

It has been suggested by some that when the Suez veterans have been awarded their medal, they refer to it, quite deservedly, as "Pip's Medal".

Footnotes.
Even today, some of the campaigners that 'Pip' enlisted in those early times are still working hard for the recognition of Suez Veterans.

Col. Newton's daughter, Mrs Anne Ammundsen, (ex Third Officer WRNS) has joined the medal campaign in the desire to help carry on, as much as her time will allow, the work of her late father. During the time of her association her input has been of a great help. Her notable successes were to get a letter published as "Letter of the Day" in the Daily Express, her letter to Princess Anne was "read with interest" by Her Royal Highness, and she was lucky enough to meet David Dimbleby at her son's Leavers' Day at school. She asked him why the Suez veterans had been ignored by the television coverage at last year's Remembrance Day Parade. Mr Dimbleby explained that the decisions of what is, and what isn't covered, is a team effort with directors and other staff, it is not always possible to include everyone.  He was very sympathetic and interested in the story, and replied "I will see that the veterans are not forgotten this year"!

Our thanks go out from this web site to Anne Ammundsen for supplying some of the details used in this tribute, and to Peter Newton for giving more details and his permission to use the group photograph.

Richard (Dick) Woolley.  July 2002.

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