Lt. Col. Augustus Charles Newman VC OBE TD DL

Lieutenant Colonel A C Newman, the Commanding Officer of No.2 Commando, who was awarded the Victoria Cross after Operation Chariot. However, due to a lack of information about the success of the raid, both Newman and another VC winner, Sergeant T D Durrant, had to wait until June 1945 for their awards to be gazetted.

Photo © IWM (HU 16542) Reproduced here under the terms of the IWM Non-Commercial Licence.

Extract from Commando Association Newsletter 55 of September 1972:

It was with profound regret that we learned on the 26th April last, of the death of Lieut. Colonel A. Charles Newman, V.C., O.B.E., T.D., our first President to pass away whilst in office, and we are deeply indebted to his close friend and comrade, and esteemed Chairman of our Warrington Branch, Lieut Colonel W. O. (Bill) Copland, D.S.O., for the following most fitting tribute:-

" St. Paul's Cathedral, a link with famous men and their memorials for nearly 300 years, can seldom have held a more numerous and more varied a congregation of friends as were gathered together on the first of May, 1972, to pay homage and to show affection to the memory of Charles Newman, V.C., our President, friend of many, enemy to none, example to all of us. As a Territorial Soldier he was the epitome of civilian military service in Peace and in War, ranging from his own beloved Essex Regiment to No. 3 Independent Company which saw service in Norway in 1940, then in No. 1 Special Service Battalion to his zenith of Service in No. 2 Commando which he commanded on its formation in 1941.

To him, this was the ultimate in choice of a service and, because he was so splendid a Commanding Officer, he gained quickly the affection and respect of his new command drawn, as it was, from almost every Regiment in the Army. The high standard he set for every aspect of military training and conduct both on and off parade and his deep sense of fairness, helped to produce a unit in which the only punishment was R.T.U. and whose only standard was perfection. Enough has been written about his part in the Naval and Commando Raid on St. Nazaire on 28th March, 1942, whore he earned his Victoria Cross, to assure for him his special niche in military history. With others of No. 2 and attached Commandos, Royal Engineers and others, together with Royal Navy personnel, he spent 3 years in German prison camps. Here again he contributed much to morale by his conduct and bearing. If this were not enough, and knowing he had still much to give, he commanded 2lst S.A.S. Regiment (Artists) T.A. and was Colonel Commandant of his County Army Cadot Force.

His links with civil life were many and varied and in many ways required similar outlooks and qualities as-best befit a soldier. As Chairman and Managing Director of a world wide firm of contractors, he led his company through good times and bad with the same kindly handling and belief in those who worked with him. In public life he was a man of many parts with wide interests and affections. He became a Deputy Lieutenant of Essex and Chairman or member of many organizations, civil and sporting. Finally, after his retirement in 1971, ever a lover of children, he gave much joy to youngsters in many recreations, Pony Clubs and 'messing about in boats', all so near to his ' Peter Pan' heart. So we say 'au revoir' 'to one of our most excellent of Presidents of The Commando Association, splendid soldier and citizen, head of a loving and beloved family. May his example illuminate our future and may our Nation ever find men like Charles Newman to help guide and protect it in War and Peace ",
W. O. COPLAND

Lt Col Augustus Charles NEWMAN VC OBE TD DL (Commanding Officer No 2 Cdo) died 26th April 1972 aged 67.