Newman, Isidore "Julien"

Date of birth:: January 26th, 1916 (Leeds, United Kingdom)
Date of death:: September 7th, 1944 (Mauthausen KZ)
Buried on:: Brookwood 1939-1945 Memorial (Memorial to the Missing)
Service number:: 216306
Nationality:: British

Biography

Izzy Newman, born out of Jewish parents studied French, English and Latin at Durham University and upon finishing his studies he settled in Hull as a teacher in a Primary School.
On 29 August 1940 he joined the army and trained as a radio telegraphist with the Royal Corps of Signals. After a posting to Scarborough Isidore was sent to Kent for four months as a signalman. He was then commissioned as First Lieutenant and finished training on 9 July 1941, from where he went to Sheffield with the 12th Light Anti Aircraft Regiment. In August 1941 he joined SOE and sent for Wireless Officer training.
On 31 March 1942 Newman was sent into the field for his first mission. He was to work with Francis Basin. Accompanied by Peter Churchill with the agents Edward Zeff and two others they flew to Gibraltar, travelled by submarine to the Riviera and landed from a folboat at Antibes. In the Autumn of 1942, he was sent back after which he reached Britain on 23 November 1942.
Following his return he was trained to learn the latest radio techniques.
For his second mission he was flown on the night of 19/20 July 1943 by Lysander, piloted by 'Mac' McCairns. He was to work as a W/T operator in the Rouen area with the agent ‘Clément’ (Major Staunton or Phillipe Liewer) for the ‘Salesman’ Circuit.
Newman was arrested on 9 or 10 March 1944 and was taken for interrogation to the Palais de Justice in Rouen and in April to Paris for further interrogation at 84 Avenue Foch where he was the cell mate of George Starr.
When the Gestapo could not get any more information out of him he was transported to Ravitsch and lastly transferred to Mauthausen concentration camp where he was executed on 7 September 1944.

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Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Temporary Captain
Unit:: F Section, Special Operations Executive (SOE), British Government
Awarded on:: January 31st, 1946

Citation:
"This Officer carried out two missions in FRANCE.
He was first sent to FRANCE by sea on the 8th March 1942 as W/T operator to a circuit in south-eastern FRANCE. He worked there for 8 months, maintaining almost daily W/T communication with LONDON and sending nearly 200 messages. In spite of the strain of operating in occupied territory and the constant efforts made to detect his set, he seldom missed a schedule, and his messages were always clear and accurate.

In November 1942 NEWMAN returned to ENGLAND. He volunteered for a further mission, and in July 1943 was sent back to FRANCE by Lysander as W/T operator to a new circuit in the ROUEN area. Here he worked until his arrest at the end of March 1944 and by his untiring and devoted work in an area thick with enemy troops and Gestapo, he made possible the delivery of arms to his circuit on a large scale. He was forced to move about constantly in order to avoid enemy detection, and covered 1,500 kms a month by bicycle in order to be able to operate from a different place at each schedule.

On the 31st March 1944 NEWMAN was arrested by the Gestapo and was later deported to GERMANY.

For his courage and devotion to duty during his two clandestine missions in France, it is recommended that Captain NEWMAN be appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division)."

Medal presented by King George VI to his parents on 2 December, 1947