PERSONALIA
 
Name:  Newton, William Ellis
Date of birth: June 8th, 1919 (St.Kilda, Victoria, Australia)
Date of death:  March 29th, 1943 (Salamaua, New Guinea)
Nationality:  Australian
     
VICTORIA CROSS (VC)
Rank: Flight Lieutenant
Unit: 22 Squadron , Royal Australian Air Force
Awarded on: November 30th, 1945
Action: On 16 March 1943 Flight Lieutenant Newton’s plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire several times during an air raid on a large fuel depot in New Guinea. Despite the bad condition of his plane he managed to drop his bomb load and returned to his base safely. During a mission on the next day his plane was hit again and the plane was set on fire. Flight Lieutenant Newton was forced to touch down on enemy ground, and he and his flight sergeant were captured. During this capture the Japanese executed them both.
Details: Flight Sergeant Newton’s Victoria Cross is publicly displayed at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia.
William Ellis Newton is buried at the Lae War Cemetery, Papua, New Guinea.
 
 
 
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Picture source:  
Information source(s):   - Victoria Cross Reference
- The Register of the Victoria Cross - published by This Engeland 1997 - ISBN 0906324270
- Special thanks to Iain Stewart from The History of the Victoria Cross
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