Category: Military
Rank: Boy 2nd Class
Regiment or Ship: Royal Navy
Service Number(s): J/55433
Occupation: Baker's Boy
Date of Birth: 15.01.1900
Place of Birth: Bexhill on Sea, Sussex.
Date of Death: 1970
Place of Death: Surrey
Address: 46 Windsor Road, Bexhill
Photos and newspaper articles
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Family Information
Parents: Arthur Henry New, b.1864 in Croydon, and Edith Ester New, b. 1868.
Siblings:
Edith Marjorie New, b. 1891 in Penge, Surrey.
Alfred Arthur New, b. 1893 in Epsom, Surrey. W0253 NEW Alfred Arthur
Albert Norman New, b. 1895 in Epsom.
Eveline Ivy New, b. 1899 in Bexhill.
Dorothy Mavis New, b. 1902 in Bexhill.
Wynnie Elsie May New, b. 1906 in Sussex.
In 1901 the family were living at 82 Reginald Road but by 1911 had moved to 55 Reginald Road. Arthur’s occupation is given as railway porter.
Spouse: Leslie married Harriet Brown, d. 1988 in Bromley, Kent, on 23rd April 1902.
First World War Experience
Leslie’s service record has survived so we know a lot about him personally but, unfortunately, his naval career was cut short due to illness.
He enlisted on 15th January 1916 signing up for 12 years after having been working as a baker’s boy. He was shown to be 5’ 4¾” tall with a 33” chest measurement and had dark brown hair and a dark complexion. He also had some scars on his left shin. He was assigned to HMS Ganges, which was the shore training establishment for boy entrants into the Royal Navy from 1905 – 1976, based at the Royal Naval Barracks, Shotbury. Leslie served there from 7th July 1916 until 18th January 1917 when he was invalided out with ‘debility after CSM’ – which is cerebrospinal meningitis – now called Men C. When he was invalided out he was given a very good character reference.
Although only in the navy for a fairly short period of time Leslie was awarded the British War Medal.