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Photo above is an extract of the photo
below
Photo from FRONTLINE, a Defence
Service Journal, the official journal of the 1st
Nineteenth and the 2nd Nineteenth Associations, Vol 4
Issue 3, page 22
Hard core Wannabes put a lot of planning into their
activities
; they weave a web of deceit and then fine-tune their
stories by relating anecdotes to give them a human
touch. Reginald Bruce Newton is a hard core Wannabe,
who has spent many years crafting the fiction of his
brief but action filled career in the British Army
.
Of
course, he was a "Secret Agent" and cannot
divulge his regimental details, or written proof of his
service to Colonial Ex Service Organisations. He does
however relate tales of incredible feats of "Cold War
derring-do" and likes to have his photo taken wearing
"his" medals.
Reginald Newton rubs shoulders with State Governors,
Generals, and the upper crust of
New South Wales. He can be seen above
standing beside Warrant Officer Class One Wally
Thompson, OAM, the first RSM to become RSM (A).
(Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army). A very
prestigious position to hold. One General, when asked about
Reginald said "Oh you mean Major Reginald Newton MC
and Bar who served with distinction during the cold
war". Read on and learn about Reginald, the
consummate "Cold War Major" who, we are sure, will
now be the consummate "Cold Shoulder Major" of
NSW.
Pictured below is a photo of Reginald Newton and a
female family member. The lady is included because she
is wearing miniatures of her Newton's "Medals" on her
right side (top row). She is also wearing the medals
(bottom row) of another Newton family member. Although
the medals are in black and white and not very clear we
are reliably informed that they include MC and Bar,
British General Service Medal, Korea Medal and United
Nations Medal Korea.
Photo from FRONTLINE, a Defence
Service Journal, the official journal of the 1st
Nineteenth and the 2nd Nineteenth Associations, Vol 4
Issue 3, page 15
The
RNSWR Association Newsletter detailing Newton's Cold War
exploits is shown below. A synopsis of the Newton RNSWR
Association newsletter story together with our comments
follow.
From 1950 to May 1953
In
1950 Newton departed Sydney for the United Kingdom with
a letter from a "family friend" and was inducted into a
Secret Intelligence Service Group as a Junior Field
Officer.
We
have Newton's Citizens Military Forces Record of
Service, gained through the Freedom of Information
Legislation from the National Archives Australia. His
records clearly show that he was taken on strength of 30
Battalion NSW Scottish Regiment on 19 Sep 1949 and he
was struck off strength 13 November 1952. Had Newton
gone to the United Kingdom in 1950, he would have been
taken off strength in 1950. We don't know where he was
between 1950 and 1953, when he claims to have been a
super spy, but it looks like he was still attending
parades at 30 Battalion in Sydney in 1951 and 1952.
When this is put with the mountain of other evidence it
is most likely the truth of the matter.
Trained as a secret agent in Arisaig Scotland and
Beaulieu Manor in New Forest England with the Political
Warfare Executive (PWE) and other "Secret Units
".
According to "Secret Operations Executive (SOE)
Syllabus: Lessons in ungentle manly warfare, World War
II", introduction by Denis Rigden (pub by Public Record
Office 2001), the Group A Schools based around Arisaig
and Morar in Inverness were opened between Nov 1940 and
June 1941 (10 in total). The last students left in Dec
1944. The Political Warfare Executive (PWE) and the
"Finishing school" for the SOE ceased operations at
Beaulieu Manor in New Forest, England in 1945
The
information is direct from Beaulieu Manor's Heritage
Education Officer and Archivist . See the emails from
Beaulieu Manor
For
the attn of xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thank
you for your recent enquiry, which has been passed to me
for reply.
The
Beaulieu Estate was the location for one of the training
schools for the Special Operations Executive rather than
the PWE, which I believe had a base at Woburn Abbey in
Bedfordshire. The SOE 'Finishing' School at Beaulieu
closed in June 1945, the first properties for the School
having been requisitioned in January 1941.
Best
wishes for the New Year,
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Heritage Education Officer and Archivist
In
1951, was trained by Fairbairn and Sykes formerly of the
Hong Kong Police and "Paddy" Mayne former SAS Commander
L t
Col William Ewart (Dan) Fairbairn and Captain Eric
Anthony (Bill) Sykes were both from the Shanghai Police
not the Hong Kong Police. Fairbairn left Arisaig in 1942
and worked in Canada and the USA with various secret
organisations. Sykes died of pneumonia in 1945 so
neither were at Arisaig to train Newton. Lt Col Robert
Blair (Paddy) Mayne DSO and 3 Bars was famous for his
exploits with the British SAS during WW2 he served
between 1939 and 1945. He left the Army at the end of
the war and served on an Antarctic expedition before
returning to his profession as a solicitor in his home
town of Newtownards, England
September 1951 was commissioned as a British Army
Officer.
ANZMI has friends in the UK who have access to the
British Army List of Officers. Lists from 1950 through
to 1959 failed to find any Reginald Bruce Newton. One of
our London sources at the Imperial War Museum said:
"I checked one of the following for each year from 1950
to 1959 inclusive Quarterly Army list: [a distribution
list of officers on the active list...] - London: HMSO,
1918-1959. - vols.; 21cm. - index for R B Newton, again
without success."
The London Gazette publishes details of all commissions
granted for the
services of the United Kingdom
. A
friend from the London Gazette told us:
From: xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: XXXXXXXXXXxx
Date: Dec 30, 2005 9:49 PM
Subject: RE: Maj Reginald Bruce Newton, MC and Bar
This
link has the search engine results for Newton in
September 1951.
I
looked at the printed index and couldn't see any
military commission for an R Newton.
He may
of course have a different formal first name.
Rgds
XXXXXXXXXX
In
addition to the information received directly from the
London Gazette, we also, have searched the Gazette for
information about Newton's "Commission" "Promotions" and
"Gallantry Awards"– He is not listed anywhere.
Conducted a raid to Gough Island in the South Atlantic
to a suspected secret Russian base.
There
are no records of such a raid having taking place. All
is serene on Gough Island. The first recorded British
expedition to the Island was in 1955.
Early in 1952 served On His Majesty's Service in,
Greece, Rumania, Albania and Bulgaria moving dissidents
out of unstable areas
.
Operatives who served in foreign countries were able to
speak the languages of the country in which they
operated. Did Newton learn Greek, Romanian and Bulgarian
during his training in 1951
Lost
his team in secret operations behind the Iron Curtain.
Rather
convenient that he "lost his team" he has no one to
disprove his claims.
Mid
1952 did secret courier work in Yugoslavia. Met a lady
whose parents ran a safe house in Rukavac who later
became his second wife.
Must
have learned Yugoslav during his training as well.
October 1952 was posted to Laos and won an MC for "A
heavy action".
The
Imperial War Museum London told us:
"All gallantry awards were published in The London
Gazette and this is searchable online, the address is in
the attached document." http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/index.asp?webType=0
Officers working with "Special Units" are listed against
their "home" or original unit. In the Gazette we were
easily able to locate his "Training Officers" "Paddy"
Mayne for his four DSOs and also Lt (Later Lt Col)
Fairbairn for his appointment as an Officer in the
British Army. No Reginald Newton mentioned anywhere. In
addition to information received directly from the
London Gazette, we have searched the Gazette for
information about Newton's "Commission" "Promotions"
and "Gallantry Awards"– He is not listed
anywhere. – Here is the address for the London
Gazette. Have a look for yourself.
http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/index.asp?webType=0
Was
promoted to Captain. Joined the war in Korea.
No
mention in the London Gazette of Reginald Newton being
promoted to Captain.
Worked on secret operations in Mongolia and received a
Bar to his MC. Lost another team.
No
mention in the London Gazette of Reginald Newton
receiving a bar to an MC. "Lost another team"
conveniently, no one to disprove his claims
.
Worked on the North Korean border observing troop and
equipment movements and was wounded in action in an
Ambush, sustaining facial and chest injuries. Lost most
of his team again.
Newton
claims to have been invalided out of the British Army,
"Medically and physiologically spent". Newton being
invalided out of the British Army would certainly
attract compensation from the UK Ministry of Defence,
War Disablement Authority, as well as ongoing medical
attention. When the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) War
Disablement Authority was approached they told our
London agent;
Dear
Mr XXXXXXXXX
Thank
you for your email. I have checked our War Disablement
Pension records and we have no trace of this gentleman.
Thanking you
Ms
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Veterans Advice Team
Australian Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) has
reciprocal arrangements with the UK War Disablement
Authority. They would have, over the years, arranged
medical appointments and generally assisted a heroic and
wounded UK war veteran who is an Australian citizen. The
Australian Department of Veterans Affairs have never
heard of Major Reginald Bruce Newton, MC and bar.
Promoted to Major
There
are no entries in the London Gazette relating to a
promotion of a Captain Newton to Major. The British
Army, the same as the Australian Army, has a system of
time in rank, whereby officers must serve a specific
time in each rank, as part of their qualification for
promotion to the next rank. From Australian CMF Private
soldier to Major, British Army, would require at least
nine or ten years. Newton did it in two and a half as
well as, absorbing and mastering many different
languages and specialist training, required for covert
operations
"Was
medically and physiologically spent"
No
wonder Newton was physiologically spent, as he had
achieved much for the British Empire in three years on
both, His, and Her Majesty's Secret Service. In reality
the achievements, promotions, battles, honours and
awards would never fit into such a time frame .
Returned to London.
May
1953 - Invalided out of the British Army as a Major aged
23 years
.
As
stated above, not known at UK Ministry of Defence The
Imperial War Museum or the War Disablement Authority.
No entry in the London Gazette relating to his
retirement .
Newton mentions a large, bald headed Mongolian
Intelligence Officer.
Newton
adds little anecdotes to his story to given them the
human touch. He tells of a large, bald headed Mongolian
who wore a large medal around his neck that was given to
him by the Czar of Russia. The Mongolian escaped from
Russian communists with a large amount of gold bullion
and worked with Newton in Mongolia and Korea in 1952.
Newton said, in October 2000 "The large, bald headed
Mongolian was now living in Australia and doing very
well".
If the
large, bald headed Mongolian was given a Medal by the
Czar and escaped from the Russians he would have had to
have been at least 20 years old in 1917. Do the
calculations, and if the large bald headed Mongolian was
living in Australia and doing well, in October 2000, he
would have to be 103 years old.
Australian Military Service as a CMF Private Soldier
from 1948 to 1950
Newton
was born on 22 September 1930. On 12 September 1949
aged nearly nineteen he joined the 30th
Infantry Battalion, NSW Scottish 2 Division a Citizens
Military Forces unit based in Sydney, as 257955 Private
R B Newton, where he served until the 13 Nov 1952.
According to Reginald he departed Sydney for the UK in
late 1950 to work in UK Intelligence. His CMF records
clearly show him still in Australia in 1952. 30
th Battalion merged with the RNSW Regiment in the
early 1950s.
Because of his service with the 30th
Battalion Newton was eligible for membership to the
current RNSWR Association.
As a
result of his Wannabe posing he is a well-known member
of that association. When asked by the RNSWR Association
for proof of his service he is quoted as saying "I
worked for British Intelligence and cannot divulge my
discharge papers". Any Service papers in his
possession would show his regimental details,
decorations, medals and awards all listed against his
"home unit" and disclosure of this information would be
no threat to Global Security as Reginald Newton purports
Newton claims to be Major Reginald Bruce Newton MC and
Bar (Retired). He wears the medals and acts the part of
a retired British Major. Newton is a fraud a Wannabe
and an impostor.
We
ask you to review the evidence and come to your own
conclusion. Our conclusions are that:
He
never left Australia in 1950 to work with British
Intelligence.
He
was never a commissioned officer in the British Army.
He
did not train at Arisaig Scotland or at Beaulieu Manor
in New Forest in 1950 or 1951.
He
was not trained by any of the famous trio Fairbairn,
Sykes or Mayne
He
did not serve as a British officer in covert operations
in Europe, Laos, Mongolia or Korea
He
was never wounded in action.
He
is fraudulently wearing bravery, and service medals.
He
was still in Australia in 1951 when he claimed to be
training at secret schools in the UK
ESO Membership
What
has to be done to convince ESOs, that when claims of
"Secret Service" are uttered, it is
essential to insist on proof of service
Unfortunately people like Newton are aided and abetted
by well meaning and honest, but gullible executives of
Ex Service Organisations,
who,
having served in the Armed Forces trust that a retired
Major is a decent and honourable person. Newton is not a
decent and honourable person and has never been an
Army Officer or the recipient of bravery awards in any
army anywhere at anytime
Newton's antics are an affront to veterans worldwide;
they are an insult to a long line of his soldierly
relatives, - including Newton VC an heroic WW II
pilot from the Australian 22nd Sqn. The Squadron is
now based at Richmond NSW. In December 2002 at a dinner
in the Squadron's Sergeants Mess honouring Flight
Lieutenant Bill Newton, VC. The RAAF Newspaper reported
"Also present were members of the Newton family – which
has a proud history of service to Australia –
including Major Reg Newton MC (ret'd) whose Army
service overseas reflected the depth of commitment the
extended Newton family had given to the ADF."
Newton
has committed wrongs against veterans and against
his family as well as crimes against Australian federal
law. Penalties for falsely wearing medals and claiming
to be a veteran are heavy, and include jail. Jail is
where he belongs and we will do our utmost to
help him get there, although, his lies, deceit
and miserable behaviour has done most of the work
already.
The
tragedy is that Newton was not exposed a long time ago,
which is indicative of the depth of his deceit and the
planning that he must have put into his charade. These
actions cannot be actions of stable personality, and it
is suggested to Newton that he seeks immediate
psychological help.
Newton will remain on our web site for the rest of his
life. We will alert Defence establishments and Ex
Service Organisations in the Sydney area and Australia
wide of his deceit, so that he – a miserable impostor –
will never again be held as an example of an "Heroic
cold war veteran", as he was in the 1/19th
Association Newsletter and the RAAF 22nd
Squadron Sergeants Mess, as reported in the RAAF
Newspaper of December 2002.
Newton, go to all those people you have fooled over the
years and apologise, then go to a psychologist and seek
help for your personality defect.
Sydney Morning Herald 1 April 2005
8 July 2006
Reginald
Bruce Newton is a
member of the 2/19th Bn Association.
The President of that Association Mr Roger Perry
finds it impossible to grasp the concept that
his "good friend" Reginald Bruce Newton is a
fraud an impostor and a thief of honour .
Perry
wrote in the latest edition of the 2/19th
Bn Newsletter
Mr Perry is
approaching a great disappointment because he will
eventually discover that his good friend Newton has
been lying for all these years.
Newton had
the opportunity to clear his name before we
published his story on our web site. On the 21st
January 2006 we sent a letter to Newton.
He chose to ignore our letter.
Mr Perry said
that Newton is collecting
evidence from the
United Kingdom, should he choose to wait for that
evidence he will grow old and weary, because the
evidence does not exist. Perry is a loyal friend to
Newton but infinitely gullible. Perhaps the 2/19th
Association could collect some evidence as well. The
NSW State Library Sydney, the National Library
Canberra and the National Archives Australia hold
records of the NSW Scottish Battalion and Newton's
service file, these records will show Reginald was
still attending parades in Sydney during his
"dreamed up" cold war secret service.
Finally,
Newton has committed serious offences by falsely
wearing gallantry and other medals. The penalty for
these offences is a heavy fine or gaol.
This is published in the
public interest, particularly that of the Vietnam
Veteran Community. All information presented here is
fact and the truth. Reports from private citizens are
supported by statements of fact and statutory
declarations. |
NEWTON Reginald Bruce
