Lanceray Arthur Newnham
Encyclopedia
Temporary Colonel Lanceray Arthur Newnham GC
MC
(3 August 1889 - 18 December 1943), of The Middlesex Regiment
(Duke of Cambridge's Own) and the British Army Aid Group
was posthumously awarded the George Cross for the gallantry he showed in resisting Japanese torture during World War II.
On 1 January 1917 Captain Newnham was awarded the Military Cross for service during the first world war.
He was taken prisoner when the Japanese invaded Hong Kong
and, with Captain Douglas Ford
and Flight Lieutenant Hector Bertram Gray
worked to contact British agents and organise a mass escape. The Japanese discovered the plan and arrested the trio, torturing them in Stanley Prison
in an effort to gain more information. They refused to divulge any further names despite being beaten, starved and threatened with death. They were killed by firing squad in Sham Shui Prison Camp on the 18 December 1943. He was born on the 3rd of August 1889 in India
.
He is buried at the Stanley Military Cemetery in Hong Kong.
George Cross
The George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(3 August 1889 - 18 December 1943), of The Middlesex Regiment
Middlesex Regiment
The Middlesex Regiment was a regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms when the 57th and 77th Regiments of Foot were amalgamated with the county's militia and rifle volunteer units.On 31 December 1966 The Middlesex Regiment was amalgamated with three...
(Duke of Cambridge's Own) and the British Army Aid Group
British Army Aid Group
The British Army Aid Group was a para-military organisation for British and allied forces in Southern China during the Second World War. The BAAG was officially classified in the British Army's order of battle as a MI9 unit that was responsible for assisting prisoners of war to escape from the...
was posthumously awarded the George Cross for the gallantry he showed in resisting Japanese torture during World War II.
On 1 January 1917 Captain Newnham was awarded the Military Cross for service during the first world war.
He was taken prisoner when the Japanese invaded Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and, with Captain Douglas Ford
Douglas Ford (GC)
Captain Douglas Ford was posthumously awarded the George Cross for conspicuous gallantry.. His citation was published in the London Gazette on the 18th of March, 1946....
and Flight Lieutenant Hector Bertram Gray
Hector Bertram Gray
Flight Lieutenant Hector Bertram Gray of the Royal Air Force, and member of the British Army Aid Group, was posthumously awarded the George Cross for "most conspicuous gallantry" in resisting torture after the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in 1941.He smuggled medicine into the POW camp to help...
worked to contact British agents and organise a mass escape. The Japanese discovered the plan and arrested the trio, torturing them in Stanley Prison
Stanley Prison
Stanley Prison is one of the five maximum security prisons in Hong Kong and is currently the oldest institution still in service...
in an effort to gain more information. They refused to divulge any further names despite being beaten, starved and threatened with death. They were killed by firing squad in Sham Shui Prison Camp on the 18 December 1943. He was born on the 3rd of August 1889 in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
He is buried at the Stanley Military Cemetery in Hong Kong.