Joseph William New

Story:
Joseph William New was born in Shaftesbury, Dorset, on 2 Jul 1887 and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 16 Sep 1887 the son of Joseph New and Ellen Seymour New (nee Bolt).   His father died in 1898. He lived his early life at premises in the High Street, Shaftesbury, and attended at Shaftesbury Grammar School for some of his education eventually leaving in 1903.  By 1911 he was living in Lewisham, London, working as a Bank Clerk.  He enlisted with the 1/28th (County of London) Battalion (The Artist's Rifles) becoming a Lance Corporal in time. (Service No. 1205).  He served in France and Flanders from 27 Oct 1914 where he was later transferred to the 12th Regiment of the Middlesex Regiment and appointed a Lieutenant (rising in due course to Captain and attached to the Royal Air Force as part of the 8th Battalion).  On his discharge he was awarded the Victory and British War Medals as well as the 1914/15 Star.  By the time of the 1921 Census he was visiting and staying at 12 Spencer Gardens, Mortlake, Surrey, where he was described as a Bank Official with the National Provincial & Union Bank.

He appears on a list of Old Boys living in London or suburbs in the February 1922 edition of the Shaftesbury Grammar School magazine. He sailed to the USA and there married Elizabeth Eleanor Sondern on 27 Jan 1927 in Manhattan, New York, USA.  He returned to the UK by the time of the 1939 Register and was living at 'Fairway' Wellington Avenue, Egham, Surrey, now described as a Bank Manager.  At some point he had been awarded the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.).  He moved to East House, Woodlands Road, East Virginia Water, Surrey, where he died on 8 Jul 1946.