Memorials & Monuments
on the Isle of Wight
- Biography -
- William John Newbury (or Newbery, or Newberry) -

William John NEWBERY was born at Sandown on 4th June 1872, the son of John NEWBERY and his wife Sarah Miriam née PITMAN. In 1881 he and his family were living at 7 Albert Cottage, Brading and in 1891 he was a gardener living with his family at Arora Cottage, Avenue Road, Sandown. By 1901 he was in the Royal Navy, a 2nd ship’s cook on HMS Surprise in Malta. At the start of the First World War he was a Naval pensioner and was called up for active service. On 15th October 1914 he was serving on HMS Hawke in the North Sea when it was torpedoed by the German submarine U-9 – the same submarine that had sunk HMS Aboukir a few weeks earlier. HMS Hawke sank in a few minutes, her Captain, 26 officers and 500 men were lost. Only four officers and 60 men survived. He left effects to the value of £116 12s., with probate granted to his sister, Elizabeth Florence O’HARE.

His nephew, Henry Michael O’HARE, and his cousin’s son George Frederick HOLBROOK, are also commemorated on Sandown War Memorial.

ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY PRESS

Saturday, October 24, 1914 Page 5

THE ISLAND AND THE WAR
SANDOWN MAN LOST IN H.M.S HAWKE
Among the crew of H.M.S. Hawke, sunk by a submarine in the North Sea on October 15th, was Mr. William John Newberry, son of the late John Newberry, and of Sarah Newberry, of North-street, Sandown.