text:
Stephen Garvin

Stephen Garvin (c. 1826 – 23 November 1874), born in Cashel, County Tipperary, was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Details
He was around 31 years old, and a colour-sergeant in the 1st Battalion, 60th Rifles, British Army during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place on 23 June 1857 at Delhi, India for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross: "For daring and gallant conduct before Delhi on the 23rd of June, 1857, in volunteering to lead a small party of men, under a heavy fire, to the 'Sammy House,' for the purpose of dislodging a number of the Enemy in position there, who kept up a destructive fire on the advanced battery of heavy guns, in which, after a sharp contest, he succeeded. Also recommended for gallant conduct throughout the operations before Delhi."

Further information
Garvin died in Chesterton, Cambridge on 23 November 1874, and is buried in St. Andrew's Parish Churchyard there. His Victoria Cross is in private ownership, having been bought by Conservative peer Lord Ashcroft at auction in 2014.

title: Stephen Garvin


text:
Harold Jackson (VC)

Sergeant Harold Jackson VC (31 May 1892 − 24 August 1918) was a British Army soldier and an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. A soldier with the East Yorkshire Regiment, he was awarded the VC for his actions in March 1918, during the German spring offensive of the First World War. He was killed in action five months later.

Early life
Jackson was born on 31 May 1892 to Thomas and Ann Jackson, and lived in Allandales, Kirton, in the English county of Lincolnshire. After working as a drayman, he moved to Nottingham in about 1912 or 1913 and worked on the railways there. He later started working as a bricklayer for a building company.

First World War
Jackson joined the British Army in April 1915, eight months after the British entry into World War I, and was posted to the 18th Hussars (later the 18th Royal Hussars), a cavalry regiment. As a trooper, he was dispatched to France for service on the Western Front. After a few months he was transferred to the East Yorkshire Regiment, a line infantry regiment, and assigned to the 7th (Service) Battalion of his new regiment, a recently-raised Kitchener's Army unit made up of civilian volunteers. He participated in the capture of Fricourt, on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme on 1 July 1916, and was wounded two weeks later during the Battle of Bazentin Ridge. Repatriated to England for medical treatment and on recovery served with a reserve battalion before rejoining the 7th East Yorkshires in 1917.

During the German spring offensive of 1918, Jackson's battalion were tasked with the defence of Hermies. On 22 March, Jackson, now a sergeant, volunteered for an intelligence gathering patrol, which had to be conducted while the Germans laid down an artillery barrage. Later the same day, he was heavily involved in fighting off a German attack that initially penetrated his battalion's position and then put a machine-gun post out of action. Over the following days, the regiment conducted a fighting retreat. Near Albert, on 31 March, he took command of his company after all the officers had been killed or wounded and even retrieved wounded men while under fire. For his actions over the period 22 to 31 March 1918, he was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC). The VC, instituted in 1856, was the highest award for valour that could be bestowed on a soldier of the British Empire.

The citation for his VC read as follows:

"For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty. Sjt. Jackson volunteered and went out through the hostile barrage and brought back valuable information regarding the enemy's movements. Later, when the enemy had established themselves in our line, this N.C.O. rushed at them, and single-handed, bombed them out into the open. Shortly afterwards, again single-handed, he stalked an enemy machine-gun, threw Mills bombs at the detachment, and put the gun out of action. On a subsequent occasion when all his officers had become casualties, this very gallant N.C.O. led his company in the attack, and, when ordered to retire, he withdrew the company successfully under heavy fire. He then went out repeatedly under heavy fire and carried in wounded."

Jackson received his VC ribbon from Lieutenant General Cameron Shute, commander of V Corps, on 18 May. He returned to England to be presented with the VC medal itself from King George V; this ceremony took place at Buckingham Palace on 26 June. He "returned home to Kirton, to a hero's welcome and Kirton Brass Band took part in the ceremonies along with most of the town's inhabitants". Jackson's response to this was to thank the townspeople for their "grand and hearty reception".

After a period of leave, he returned to his battalion, which "in the last ten days of March had lost twenty-one officers and 431 men", and was still serving on the Western Front. Jackson's "luck ran out" on 24 August when he was killed in action at Thiepval, France. Originally buried near where he was killed, in 1927 his remains were relocated to the AIF Burial Ground at Flers. "The village of Flers came into prominence in mid-September 1916 when it was captured by British and New Zealanders who had the use of tanks for the first time. The village was lost in March 1918 and retaken by the British in August". He is commemorated on several memorials; that in his home town, one in Boston and at Wood Green in London.

The medal
Jackson's medals also included the 1914–15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal. His sister, Mary Searby, had possession of his VC and later lent it to her father, Thomas Jackson, for a function at Buckingham Palace. The VC remained with him until his death, at which time it was returned to Searby. It was later passed onto her niece in the mid-1950s. It, along with Jackson's other medals, was sold to a private collector in May 1989.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Harold Jackson (VC)


text:
Herman James Good

Herman James Good (29 November 1887 – 18 April 1969) was a soldier in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Good received the award for his actions during the Battle of Amiens in August 1918, while fighting around Hangard Wood. Good survived the war and returned to Canada. After his discharge from the military in 1919, Good worked in the lumber industry and then later as a fish and game warden. He died of a stroke in 1969, at the age of 81.

Early life
Good was born on 29 November 1887 in South Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada. He was one of fourteen children of Walter and Rebecca Good. He was educated at the local public school and involved in lumber operations in the area.

First World War
On 29 June 1915, Good enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) on 29 June 1915 in Sussex, New Brunswick. He embarked for England in late October 1915. Arriving there the following month, he was posted to the 2nd Pioneer Battalion serving on the Western Front.

In April 1916, he transferred to the 13th (Royal Highlanders of Canada) Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Canadian Division. Two months later, he received gunshot wounds to his buttocks which required six weeks of treatment before he could return to his unit. He experienced a bout of shell shock in early October and was in and out of care for the next several weeks. He was back with the 13th Battalion by early 1917. He became an acting lance corporal in mid-1917, following a further period in hospital with the mumps, and his rank was made substantive by the end of the year. In May 1918, he was promoted again, to corporal.

On 8 August 1918, the opening day of the Battle of Amiens, and the beginning of the Hundred Days Offensive, the 3rd Brigade, accompanied by a battalion of tanks, was at the forefront of the 1st Division's advance. The 13th Battalion had secured Aubercourt village but became held up by machine gun posts in the vicinity of Hangard Wood. At the head of his company, Good attacked the machine guns and put them out of action. Later in the day he located a battery of field guns and led a group of men in the capture of them. Good's battalion was able to push on to its objective and consolidate its positions. He was recognised for his deeds of 8 August 1918 by being awarded the Victoria Cross (VC). The VC, instituted in 1856, was the highest award for valour that could be bestowed on a soldier of the British Empire. The citation for Good's VC read:

"For most conspicuous bravery and leading when in attack his company was held up by heavy fire from three enemy machine-guns, which were seriously delaying the advance. Realising the gravity of the situation, this N.C.O. dashed forward alone, killing several of the garrison, and capturing the remainder. Later on, Corporal Good, while alone, encountered a battery of 5-inch guns, which were in action at the time. Collecting three men of his section, he charged the battery under point-blank fire and captured the entire crews of three guns."

- The London Gazette, 27 September 1918

The next month, Good was promoted to lance sergeant. He received his VC in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on 29 March 1919. Soon afterwards, Good returned to Canada aboard the RMS Olympic. He was formally discharged from the CEF on 26 April 1919.

Later life
Good resumed his pre-war employment, working in the lumber industry. He later became a fish and game warden, serving in this capacity for 20 years. In his retirement, he lived in Bathurst, where on 13 April 1969 he suffered a stroke. He died five days later. After a funeral service at St George's Church, he was buried with military honours in St Alban's Cemetery in Bathurst. He was survived by two sons; his wife had predeceased him by several years as had a third son.

After his death, Good's VC was inherited by one of his sons; Frank Good. It, along with his other war service medals, is now held by the Canadian War Museum, which purchased them in December 2013.

title: Herman James Good


text:
Talk:Governor-General of South Africa

Correct facts?
The reference to "local (white)" persons is superfluous - where else in the British Empire was there a local (non-white) governor-general?

Maybe not in the Empire, but in the Commonwealth - India, Pakistan, Ceylon, Nigeria, Gambia, Sierra Leone, all had local (non-white) citizens holding the post of Governor-General.

The implication is that SA was the only contry in the commonwealth that applied a colour bar which was not the case - how many Aboriginals became GG of Australia, Maoris [sic] of New Zealand, or "red Indians" of Canada?

''Not comparing like with like. In these 'dominions' the indigenous population was in the minority. The 1960 referendum in SA was whites only. Australia has never had a woman, let alone an Aborigine as GG, unlike Canada or NZ, but this is down to conservatism.''

For that matter how many Indians were Viceroy of India either?

See comment above.

Right up to 1965 Rhodesia (then a British colony) had a white GG - Sir Garfield Todd.

''Incorrect. Garfield Todd (he was only knighted in the 1990s on the recommendation of the NZ government) was never 'Governor-General' of Rhodesia because there was no such post. Sir Humphrey Gibbs was Governor (although the Smith regime stripped him of his authority and appointed an 'Officer Administering the Government' after UDI) and remained so until the declaration of a republic in 1970.''

With reference to the Governors General of South Africa, it is my opinion that members of the Royal Family like Lord Athlone made better Governors General than the racist fascists who occupied that office until the Republic of South Africa was declared in 1961. Princess Alice was deeply loved by all races and language groups and she even spoke Dutch which impressed the Afrikaans community. The total impartiality of the Royal Family, enabled him to be a concilliator not least during the Flag Contraversy 1925-1928. In the South African context one wonders if more members of the Royal Family had been sent out there, whether things would have been different. The systems of Queen's Representative clearly works because here we are in the 21st century and thoroughly modern countries like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, not to mention Jamaica, Barbados etc still have a Governor General and it works. However, I think the days of sending royalty out to these countries are long gone, more's the pity. I hope and pray that in the years to come, the term Your Excellency, may still be heard in Government Houses around the world.

With reference to the comments above regarding White only Governors General, it is true to say that there were non white Governors General in India, Pakistan, Sierra Leone The Gambia etc but this only occured afer independence and in most cases a republican form of government was introduced soon afterwards.

In the case of India for example, the first Governor General of independent India was Lord Mountbatten who had been the last Viceroy and the first Governor General of Jamaica was Sir Kenneth Blackburn who had been the last Governor of colonial Jamaica.

Fair use rationale for Image:Governor General Union of SA 1931 Flag.png
Image:Governor General Union of SA 1931 Flag.png is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to ensure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images lacking such an explanation can be deleted one week after being tagged, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot (talk) 22:38, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Problem with Monarch and Prime Minister columns
With the way the "Monarch" and "Prime Minister" columns are set up, they are misleading, because they make it look as if the Monarchs and Prime Ministers changed at the same time as Governors-General. For example, the Earl of Clarendon was viceroy under George V, Edward VIII and George VI, but there is no way of telling that from the table. Similarly, Smuts's first term started during the office of Viscount Buxton, not during that of Prince Arthur as the table would seem to imply. - htonl (talk) 00:15, 19 June 2013 (UTC)

Requested move 7 September 2016

 * The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

The result of the move request was: Not moved. No prospect of consensus to move. Andrewa (talk) 07:15, 14 September 2016 (UTC)

Governor-General of the Union of South Africa → Governor-general of the Union of South Africa – Please place your rationale for the proposed move here. Tony  (talk)  03:54, 7 September 2016 (UTC)

Per WP:MOSCAPS ("Wikipedia avoids unnecessary capitalization") and WP:TITLE, this is a generic, common term, not a propriety or commercial term, so the article title should be downcased. Inconsistently used in sibling articles, often in the plural, which rather proves the point. Tony  (talk)  03:54, 7 September 2016 (UTC)

 * Oppose. In this context, "Governor-General" is a specific title. The South Africa Act which created the post consistently uses "Governor-General". One might write of "governors-general" in the plural without capitalisation, but when one writes of the particular post it is capitalised. The same can be seen in, for example Governor-General of Australia, Governor-General of New Zealand, Governor General of Canada, etc. - htonl (talk) 08:56, 7 September 2016 (UTC)
 * User:Htonl and User:GabeIglesia—Well, just as every job advertisement caps the so-called title of the job: "Garbage Collector Grade II". Capping is rampant, and is often boosterism. Where do you draw the line? Most style guides recommend downcasing. It would be particularly recommended for "ZA has had three governors-general". That is clearly generic. We now write "South African government", and "South African prime minister". Why is this different? Tony   (talk)  11:43, 11 September 2016 (UTC)
 * It's different for exactly the same reason that the title of the article "Prime Minister of Australia" is capitalised even though one might write "Australian prime ministers" in prose. There is a clearly established convention in the naming of this and similar articles. - htonl (talk) 11:53, 11 September 2016 (UTC)
 * Agreed. In addition, in response to "most style guides recommend downcasing," MOS:JOBTITLES mentions specific instances when they should be capitalized ("when the correct formal title is treated as a proper name"). MOS:CONSISTENCY should also be considered in this case, not only for all of the governor-general articles, but for all other articles that concern prime ministers, secretaries-general, and other similar job titles, all of which follow this naming convention. You will also note that just now in that sentence, I did indeed de-capitalize these terms, because I am using them in the generic sense. I don't disagree with you in this case that they should be de-capitalized in generic usage, but when referring specifically to the formal, official position (especially in the title of the article), they should be capitalized. Gabe Iglesia (talk) 12:11, 11 September 2016 (UTC)

 * Support per MOS:TITLE and MOS:CAPS. Occupational (including governmental) titles are not capitalized except when directly attached to a person's name. Htonl, above, is giving an incorrect analysis.  — SMcCandlish ☺ ☏ ¢ ≽ʌⱷ҅ᴥⱷʌ≼  01:55, 11 September 2016 (UTC)
 * Oppose. Concur with Htonl. Per MOS:JOBTITLES, titles are capitalized when attached to a person's name or when the correct formal title is treated as a proper name. We can draw a parallel to Prime minister and the many, many articles of various countries' prime ministers (e.g. Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister of Japan, Prime Minister of Georgia). These articles are not titled Prime minister of the United Kingdom or Prime minister of Japan. This proposed move would also disrupt consistency with other Governor-General articles (e.g. Governor-General of Australia, Governor-General of India, Governor-General of New Zealand - do we want to rename all of those too?). WP:CONSISTENCY is one of the criteria for a good article title - that is, "it is consistent with the pattern of similar articles' titles." Plus, MOS:INSTITUTIONS and MOS:POLITICALUNITS similarly draw the distinction between capitalizing generic names and formal titles (e.g. "the university offers this course" vs. "the University of Delhi offers this course"). Indeed, "Governor-general" is the generic name, but as the article is discussing the formal title and position, it should remain "Governor-General of the Union of South Africa." GabeIglesia (talk) 06:57, 11 September 2016 (UTC)
 * Proposal: My principal issue here is with consistency between this and other similar articles. What if we agree to close this discussion and open a centralized discussion including all the "Governor-General of X" articles? - htonl (talk) 12:14, 11 September 2016 (UTC)
 * I would support that, Htonl. What do others think? Tony   (talk)  08:22, 12 September 2016 (UTC)
 * I am open to that as well - opening up the discussion more broadly - although I think such a discussion is much bigger than just all of the "Governor-General" articles. This convention pertains to every article we have on official government positions (Prime ministers, secretaries-general, presidents, ministers of foreign affairs, etc.). This convention applies to all of those articles, so I think it would be good to have this big discussion and have a lot of input on it. Gabe Iglesia (talk) 08:44, 12 September 2016 (UTC)
 * What say the matter be raised at the MOS talkpage first off. Tony   (talk)  09:22, 12 September 2016 (UTC)

 * Oppose. We always capitalise individual titles like this (i.e. titles that are held by a single individual at any one time). See Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, United States Secretary of State, Vice-Chancellor of Germany, etc, etc. -- Necrothesp (talk) 14:40, 12 September 2016 (UTC)
 * Oppose. Not only does it seem odd to single out an article on a defunct post, but you cannot compare an office of state to a garbage collector, in which case capitalisation would be seen as boosterism. References to the post before and after it was abolished are overwhelmingly to "Governor-General" "Union of South Africa" Polemicista (talk) 22:02, 12 September 2016 (UTC)

 * Closing comment: The contents of Category:Governors-general and its subcategories are not entirely consistent, so we should probably hear more of this. The MOS seems a good place to start. Andrewa (talk) 07:15, 14 September 2016 (UTC)

 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page or in a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

Requested move 19 March 2018

 * The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

The result of the move request was: page moved. Anthony Appleyard (talk) 14:39, 19 March 2018 (UTC)

Governor-General of the Union of South Africa → Governor-General of South Africa – Proposed page is simpler per WP:COMMONNAME and already redirects. Tærkast (Discuss) 21:26, 18 March 2018 (UTC)
 * This is a contested technical request (permalink). –Ammarpad (talk) 04:52, 19 March 2018 (UTC)

 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page or in a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

Older requested move 24 March 2018

 * The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

The result of the move request was: void. The established article title is "Governor-General of the Union of South Africa". The RM needs to start from there with a proposed title. — JJMC89  (T·C) 19:23, 24 March 2018 (UTC)

Governor-General of South Africa → Governor-General of the Union of South Africa – This was moved from factual title to inccoret one due to misunderstanding of the titles. I initially declined the request and start RM discussion, but I don't know why Anthony Appleyard cut the discussion midway and moved the page despite obvious factual error. The Union of South Africa is not the same as South Africa. The former is a historic predecessor state to the later. Therefore it is inaccurate to move Governor General of the Union of South Africa to Governor General of South Africa. The position ceased to exist with the cessation of the old state. There was never post called "Governor-General of South Africa" –Ammarpad (talk) 15:56, 24 March 2018 (UTC)
 * This is a contested technical request (permalink). Tærkast  (Discuss) 16:32, 24 March 2018 (UTC)

 * Oppose - Nobody can confuse the Union of South Africa with the modern day Republic, with a President as head of state and government, else other former Commonwealth republics which previously had Governors-General should have their pages moved to, see Governor-General of India, Governor-General of Uganda, Governor-General of Kenya. And on that note, you might as well move Monarchy of South Africa to the Monarchy of the Union of South Africa, based on your reasoning. There is no factual error in calling it Governor-General of South Africa, as the Union was the predecessor of the current Republic of South Africa, both of which include "South Africa." There is no Governor-General of the Republic of South Africa, and there's no chance anyone would confuse it with the current state. I could literally list all articles of governors-general and monarchs of former Commonwealth realms, later republics. The reason it was moved still stands, per common name. A search result clearly indicates the proposed title is far less common than the now moved, and the same results for Google Book search. The article itself explains the role of the Governor-General as representative head of state quite well enough. -- Tærkast (Discuss) 16:32, 24 March 2018 (UTC)
 * Oppose. It incorrect to say that the "Union of South Africa" is a historic predecessor state to "South Africa". The "Union of South Africa" is a historic predecessor state to the "Republic of South Africa"; the name "South Africa" covers both of them. Consequently it is not incorrect to refer to the "Governor-General of South Africa". There is also the question of consistency - for example in the case of Australia there is an article titled "Governor-General of Australia", not "Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia". - htonl (talk) 17:00, 24 March 2018 (UTC)

 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page or in a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

Requested move 24 March 2018

 * The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

The result of the move request was: consensus to move the page to Governor-General of South Africa, per the discussion below. Dekimasu よ! 04:44, 31 March 2018 (UTC)

Governor-General of the Union of South Africa → Governor-General of South Africa – It was requested that the original uncontested move revert to the article's original name due to, among other reasons, it being the article's title for 13 years. Well, the Republic of China article was at Republic of China for many years before being moved to Taiwan, its common name. The second reason is the assertion that the title "Governor-General of South Africa" is incorrect. The fact that the "of the Union of South Africa" was part of the title is neither here nor there, because nobody can confuse the Union of South Africa with the modern day Republic, with a President as head of state and government, else other former Commonwealth republics which previously had Governors-General should have their pages moved to, see Governor-General of India, Governor-General of Uganda, Governor-General of Kenya. And on that note, you might as well move Monarchy of South Africa to the Monarchy of the Union of South Africa, based on your reasoning. There is no factual error in calling it Governor-General of South Africa, as the Union was the predecessor of the current Republic of South Africa, both of which include "South Africa." There is no Governor-General of the Republic of South Africa, and there's no chance anyone would confuse it with the current state. I could literally list all articles of governors-general and monarchs of former Commonwealth realms, later republics. The reason it was moved still stands, per common name. A search result clearly indicates the proposed title is far less common than the now moved, and the same results for Google Book search. The article itself explains the role of the Governor-General as representative head of state quite well enough. Tærkast (Discuss) 19:27, 24 March 2018 (UTC)
 * Support. As per my comment in the previous (voided) RM discussion. For consistency - we have an article titled "Governor-General of Australia" not "Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia", and we have an article titled "President of South Africa" not "President of the Republic of South Africa". There is no inaccuracy in referring to the "GG of SA", as has been claimed - "South Africa" refers to the country in both the Union and Republic forms. - htonl (talk) 21:07, 24 March 2018 (UTC)
 * Support: Governor-General of South Africa is a perfectly correct and understandable short form of the title, and the words "the Union of" are not needed for disambiguation (in the same way that we use, for example, Governor-General of the Bahamas rather than Governor-General of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas). Alkari (?), 25 March 2018, 00:55 UTC
 * Oppose. This article is about the historical office, Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, that existed between 1910 and 1961, when the country's name was Union of South Africa, which has its own article, separate from the article titled South Africa.   Roman Spinner (talk • contribs) 08:34, 25 March 2018 (UTC)
 * The country's name was "Union of South Africa" then and is "Republic of South Africa" now. The name "South Africa" applies to both (and the wikipedia article South Africa covers both in its History section). - htonl (talk) 09:20, 25 March 2018 (UTC)
 * Exactly per Htonl, and the same argument used for this, can be such as Commonwealth of the Philippines, which also had a President, but whose head of state article title is President of the Philippines, not President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, which technically as the predecessor state and "historical office" (predecessor to the President of the Republic of the Philippines) would be the "correct" term according to the argument you're trying to put across. Never mind the fact that common name policy and other reasons I put forth in the request seem to be ignored.

Further point, during the Commonwealth of the Philippines, it also had a High Commissioner whose article is at the common short form, not High Commissioner to the Commonwealth of the Philippines because it is the same state, different name, and the common name of the office. There is no reason to have it at the long form, as the successor state and common name takes precedence. It is not "incorrect" to suggest the proposed name is wrong, else the proposed name would not redirect here in the first place. -- Tærkast (Discuss) 12:06, 25 March 2018 (UTC)

 * Support. Clear common name. The country was always commonly known as South Africa. -- Necrothesp (talk) 13:33, 28 March 2018 (UTC)

 * Support per nom and other commenters. —  AjaxSmack  02:24, 29 March 2018 (UTC)

 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page or in a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

Succession
It is true that the Governor-General was formally the representative of the monarch and not himself the head of state. However, under the Union various powers were directly vested in the Governor-General and not in the monarch: for example the appointment of cabinet members; the summoning, prorogation and dissolution of Parliament; and the appointment of delimitation commissions. When South Africa became a republic, the powers of the monarch and the powers of the Governor-General were both merged in the State President. Section 3 of the Republic of South Africa Constitution Act provided: "3. As from the date mentioned in section one, any reference in any law in force immediately prior to the commencement of this Act, in the Union of South Africa or in any other territory in respect of which Parliament is competent to legislate―

(a) to the Union of South Africa or the State, shall be construed as a reference to the Republic;

(b) to the Crown or the King or the Queen or the Governor-General shall be construed as a reference to the Republic or the State President as the circumstances may require;

(c) to the King-in-Council or the Queen-in-Council or the Governor-General-in-Council, shall be construed as a reference to the State President."

In other words, the State President was the legal successor of the monarch and also the legal successor of the Governor-General. - htonl (talk) 06:27, 29 October 2021 (UTC)

title: Talk:Governor-General of South Africa


text:
Robert Edwin Phillips

Robert Edwin "Bob" Phillips VC (11 April 1895 – 23 September 1968) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Early life

Philips was born at 12, Queen Street, Hill Top, West Bromwich, (then Staffordshire) England. His father was a roll turner. He was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School, Aston.

The Medal
He was 21 years old, and a Temporary Lieutenant in the 13th Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, British Army, attached 9th (S) Battalion during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 25 January 1917 near Kut, Mesopotamia, Lieutenant Phillips went to the assistance of his commanding officer (Edward Elers Delaval Henderson) who was lying in the open, having been mortally wounded while leading a counter-attack. The lieutenant went out with a comrade and, under the most intense fire, they succeeded in bringing their commanding officer back to British lines.

He later achieved the rank of captain.

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Museum (Royal Warwickshire), Warwick, England.

Blue plaque

On 26 January 2008, a blue plaque was erected on Holyhead House, Phillips' childhood home, at 54b, Hill Top, West Bromwich.

Street name

A street in Sandwell, near his birthplace, was named in his honour in 2000. However the name "Edwin Phillips Drive" was used in error. Derek Pinches, Phillips' great nephew, noticed the error and local historians campaigned to have the name changed. This met with resistance from residents of the drive, 85% of whom objected. As a compromise, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council replaced the street name plate with one explaining that the street name commemorates "Capt Robert Edwin Phillips V.C.".

title: Robert Edwin Phillips


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Wallace Le Patourel

Brigadier Herbert Wallace Le Patourel (20 June 1916 – 4 September 1979) was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Early life
Le Patourel was born in Guernsey, Channel Islands on 20 June 1916. His father, Herbert Augustus Le Patourel, was procureur (Attorney General) of Guernsey from 1929 to 1934. He was educated at Elizabeth College, Guernsey, and represented the school at shooting and hockey. On leaving school he worked as a bank clerk from 1934 to 1937. He joined the British Army, being commissioned a second lieutenant into the Hampshire Regiment in 1938 and was promoted to captain in 1941, during the Second World War.

VC details
Le Patourel was 26 years old, and a temporary major in the 2nd Battalion, Hampshire Regiment (later the Royal Hampshire Regiment), British Army during the Second World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

On 3 December 1942 at Tebourba, Tunisia, enemy forces were holding high ground and resisting all efforts in dislodge them. Le Patourel called for four volunteers to go with him and they attacked and silenced several of the machine-gun posts. When all his men became casualties, he went on alone to engage the enemy, using his pistol and hurling hand grenades.

Initial reports from other wounded soldiers suggested that Le Patourel had been killed in action, and he was awarded the VC posthumously. He was later discovered to have survived, been taken prisoner and was in hospital in Italy. He was repatriated in 1943, and awarded his Victoria Cross at a ceremony in Cairo, Egypt.

Later career
Shortly after his repatriation, Le Patourel returned to active service. He went on to serve as brigade major in north-western Europe 1944–45 where he was mentioned in dispatches. In November 1945, he was appointed an Instructor at the Staff College, Quetta, and was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He later achieved the rank of brigadier.

He paid an official visit to his native Guernsey at its Liberation in 1945, and was officially welcomed home by the States of Guernsey on the anniversary of the liberation in 1948.

Le Patourel was later appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Avon, and was a director of Harveys of Bristol from 1969.

He married Babette Theresa Beattie in 1949, and had two daughters. One daughter, Penelope Ann Le Patourel, is the wife of Sir William Ehrman. His brother, John Le Patourel, FBA, was Professor of Medieval History at the University of Leeds from 1945 to 1974.

In 2002, a series of six postage stamps was issued by Guernsey Post depicting Le Patourel's life. On 18 July 2015, a blue plaque was unveiled on his childhood home, celebrating the lives of Le Patourel and his brother, John.

The medal
Le Patourel's Victoria Cross is displayed in the Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum, Lower Barracks, Winchester, England.

title: Wallace Le Patourel


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File:Lone Justice - Shelter.jpg

Cover for album Shelter by Lone Justice.

Fair use rationale for

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 * The image is irreplaceable; a free analogue is impossible to produce as the original will be covered by copyright for the foreseeable future
 * Owing to the limited web-resolution of the image, only a small portion of a copyrighted work is used
 * For the same reasons, the portion of the copyrighted work used is of inherently lower quality than the original, reducing the risk of competitiveness and therefore the effects of this copy on the market for or value of versions held by the owner of the copyright

title: File:Lone Justice - Shelter.jpg


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John Robarts (VC)

John Robarts VC (c. 1818 – 17 October 1888) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Robarts was born in Chacewater, Cornwall, and joined the Royal Navy in 1842. He was about 37 years old, and a gunner in the Royal Navy during the Crimean War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 29 May 1855 in the Sea of Azov, Crimea, Gunner Robarts of HMS Ardent with two lieutenants, Cecil Buckley and Hugh Burgoyne, one from HMS Miranda and the other from HMS Swallow, volunteered to land on a beach where the Russian army were in strength. They were out of covering gunshot range of the ships offshore and met considerable enemy opposition, but managed to set fire to corn stores and ammunition dumps and destroy enemy equipment before embarking again. Buckley and Burgoyne were also awarded the Victoria Cross.

Later life
In the 1881 Census he is recorded as living at Providence House, 4 Park Lane, Southsea where he died of heart disease, aged 68 in 1888.

title: John Robarts (VC)


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Tommy (1975 film)

Tommy is a 1975 British musical fantasy drama film written and directed by Ken Russell and based on the Who's 1969 rock opera album Tommy about a "psychosomatically deaf, mute, and blind" boy who becomes a pinball champion and religious leader. The film featured a star-studded ensemble cast, including the band members themselves (most notably, lead singer Roger Daltrey, who plays the title role), Ann-Margret, Oliver Reed, Eric Clapton, Tina Turner, Elton John, Robert Powell and Jack Nicholson.

An independent production by Russell and Robert Stigwood, Tommy was released by Columbia Pictures in the US on 19 March 1975 while in the UK it was released by Hemdale Film Corporation on 26 March 1975. Ann-Margret received a Golden Globe Award for her performance and was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Pete Townshend was also nominated for an Oscar for his work in scoring and adapting the music for the film. The film was shown at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival, but was not entered into the main competition. In 1975, the film won the award for Rock Movie of the Year in the First Annual Rock Music Awards.

Plot
In the prologue, set in 1945, a montage displays the honeymoon of Group Captain Walker and his wife, Nora ("Prologue - 1945"). After his leave ends, Walker goes off to fight in World War II as a bomber pilot, but is shot down during a mission. "Captain Walker" is listed as missing in action and is presumed dead, although—unknown to his family—the badly burned Walker is still alive. Back in England, Nora goes into labour and gives birth to a son, Tommy, on V-E Day ("Captain Walker/It's a Boy"). Five years later, in 1950, Nora begins a new relationship with Frank, a holiday worker she and Tommy meet at a holiday camp. Tommy looks up to his "Uncle" Frank and expresses his desire to run his own holiday camp some day ("Bernie's Holiday Camp"). On New Year's Eve, Nora and Frank dream of their future ("1951 / What About the Boy?"), but, late that evening, the returning Captain Walker surprises the couple in bed, leading to a struggle where Frank kills the Captain (in the original album synopsis, the Captain kills Frank). Realising that Tommy has witnessed the murder through the reflection of a mirror, the couple coerce Tommy into believing he did not see or hear anything and will tell no one. The heat of the moment panics Tommy into a dissociative state where he outwardly appears "deaf, dumb, and blind", though internally he finds himself experiencing the world through a psychedelia-like state ("Amazing Journey"). Later, at a Christmas party, Nora is distressed that Tommy "doesn't know what day it is" ("Christmas").

Over 16 years, Nora and Frank make several fruitless attempts to bring the now older Tommy out of his state, taking him to a faith healer ("Eyesight to the Blind") and a drug dealer ("The Acid Queen"). They become increasingly lethargic at the lack of effect, place him with some questionable babysitters ("Cousin Kevin" / "Fiddle About") and eventually leave Tommy standing at the mirror one night, allowing him to wander off. He follows a vision of himself to a junkyard pinball machine ("Sparks") and begins to play. Tommy is recognised by Frank and the media as a pinball prodigy ("Extra, Extra, Extra"), which is made even more impressive with his sensory-impaired state. During a championship game, Tommy faces the "Pinball Wizard" with The Who as the backing band. Nora watches her son's televised victory and celebrates his (and her) success and luxury, but finds she can't fully enjoy it because of Tommy's extreme condition ("Champagne").

Frank finds a specialist for Tommy ("There's a Doctor") who concludes that Tommy's state is triggered emotionally rather than physically and explains the only hope is to continue having Tommy face his reflection ("Go to the Mirror!"). An increasingly frustrated Nora promptly throws Tommy through the mirror ("Smash the Mirror!") causing him to snap to full consciousness ("I'm Free"). Tommy reveals that his experiences have transformed him and decides that he wants to transform the world ("Mother and Son" / "Miracle Cure").

Tommy goes on lecture tours that resemble glam-rock gospel shows and spreads a message of enlightenment by hang glider, gaining friends and followers everywhere he goes ("Sally Simpson" / "Sensation"). Tommy and a more enlightened and elated Nora and Frank welcome converts to their house, which quickly becomes too crowded to accommodate everyone. Tommy opens an extension for his religious campus ("Welcome" / "Tommy's Holiday Camp").

The converts, confused about Tommy's odd practices and his family's commercial exploitation of the compound, wrathfully demand Tommy teach them something useful. Tommy does so, deliberately deafening, muting, and blinding everyone, only to inadvertently provoke a riot. The followers kill Nora and Frank and destroy the camp in a fire ("We're Not Gonna Take It"). Tommy finds his parents in the debris and mourns before escaping into the mountains from the beginning of the film. He ascends the same peak where his parents celebrated their honeymoon, celebrating the rising sun ("Listening to You").

Cast

 * Ann-Margret as Nora Walker, Tommy's mother who's obsessed with glamour and luxury but who also has a deep love for her son.
 * Oliver Reed as "Uncle" Frank Hobbs, Nora's brute boyfriend with a (subtle) soft side.
 * Roger Daltrey as Tommy Walker, a catatonic lad who develops messianic delusions.
 * Barry Winch as young Tommy and Alison Dowling as young Tommy's singing voice.
 * Elton John as The Pinball Wizard, the cocky pinball champion of the world in four-and-a-half-foot high boots.
 * Tina Turner as The Acid Queen, an erratic prostitute who deals in prophetic LSD.
 * Eric Clapton as The Preacher, the leader of a Marilyn Monroe-themed cult.
 * Keith Moon as Uncle Ernie, Frank's clownish perverted pimp friend.
 * Paul Nicholas as Cousin Kevin, Tommy's sadomasochist relative with a biker punk aesthetic.
 * Jack Nicholson as The Specialist/Dr A. Quackson, a doctor who helps in curing Tommy and who enchants Nora.
 * Robert Powell as Group Captain Walker, Nora's Royal Air Force pilot late husband.
 * Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and Keith Moon as Themselves as The Who during "Eyesight to the Blind", "Pinball Wizard" and "Sally Simpson"
 * Townshend also acts as Narrator during "Amazing Journey", "Sally Simpson" and "Sensation"
 * Townshend's brother, Simon Townshend, narrates during the "Extra, Extra, Extra" interludes.
 * Arthur Brown as The Priest, a manic assistant to The Preacher.
 * Victoria Russell as Sally Simpson, a Tommy fan-girl who sneaks to a concert and gets maimed.
 * Ben Aris as Rev. A. Simpson V. C. and Mary Holland as Mrs. Simpson, Sally's conservative, religious parents.
 * Jennifer and Susan Baker (uncredited) as the nurses during "It's a Boy"
 * Imogen Claire (uncredited) as Specialist's nurse
 * Juliet and Gillian King (uncredited) as the Acid Queen's handmaidens.
 * Ken Russell (uncredited) as one of Marilyn's followers and eventually one of Tommy's. He is seen in a wheelchair.

Development
Tommy was written in 1968 and recorded by the Who in 1969. Three years later a version of the opera was recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra. The two albums sold ten million copies between them.

Film rights were bought by Robert Stigwood who secured financing from Columbia. Beryl Vertue of the Stigwood Organisation was executive producer. Stigwood also arranged for Ken Russell to direct.

Russell admitted he did not like the music – he disliked rock music in general – but he loved the theme of the film, being about a messiah.

According to Russell, several scripts had been written by the time he came on the project. He later wrote "some were well written, some were not, but they all had one thing in common - a big negative. They were not about a deaf dumb and blind boy's spiritual journey from darkness to light."

Russell did up his own treatment of the story as he saw it. He said: "This in no way deviated from his [Townshend's] original but plugged in the gaps where I found the story obscure or just non existent." Russell said Townshend liked most of his suggestions and wrote new material.

Russell and Townshend worked on the film together for a year. Russell had been working on a script called The Angels, which was to star Mia Farrow about a pop star called Poppy Day who becomes a messianic figure, and reworked some of that script's sequences for Tommy. He also used scenes from another unfilmed script of his, Music Music Music about a composer who writes music for TV commercials (this turned into what became known as the "baked beans" scene with Ann-Margret). Russell made several changes to the story:
 * In the original story, Tommy's father returns and murders the lover. In the film, the father is the murder victim.
 * Both Tommy's mother and lover are complicit in the murder.
 * The story's setting is shifted forward, so that the finale takes place in the mid-1970s (present-day when the film was released). The song "1921" is changed to "1951" to accommodate this.

Casting
It was announced that Roger Daltrey would play Tommy and Keith Moon would play Uncle Ernie. Various rumours spread over who would play other characters with names such as David Bowie, Elton John, Barbra Streisand and Mick Jagger being mentioned.

Daltrey was cast at Russell's specific request, over the wishes of Daltrey's own management.

In December, it was announced Ann-Margret would play Tommy's mother. Ann-Margret was cast because, according to Russell, "I needed a superb singer."

Jagger was reportedly offered the role of The Acid Queen but insisted on singing three of his own songs, so the role was given to Tina Turner.

Jack Nicholson agreed to play a small role because "Russell's films intrigue me, some I like very much, some I don't like at all, and I want to find out what makes them tick." Russell originally considered Peter Sellers for the role of The Specialist.

Russell says Pete Townshend wanted Tiny Tim to play Pinball Wizard but Stigwood overruled him. Elton John initially turned down the role of the Pinball Wizard and among those considered to replace him was David Essex, who recorded a test audio version of the "Pinball Wizard" song. However, producer Robert Stigwood held out until John agreed to take the part, reportedly on condition that he could keep the gigantic Dr. Martens boots he wore in the scene. John later wore the boots in a brief scene in the music video for his song Nikita, which was directed by Russell.

Filming
Filming started April 1974 and took place over twelve weeks. In his commentary for the 2004 DVD release of the film, Ken Russell stated that the opening and closing outdoor scenes were shot in the Borrowdale valley of the English Lake District, near his own home, the same area that he had used to double for rural Austria and Bohemia in his earlier film Mahler, in which Robert Powell had starred.

Much of the film was shot on locations around Portsmouth, including the scene near the end of the film featuring the giant 'pinballs', which were, in fact, obsolete buoys found in a British Navy yard, which were simply sprayed silver and filmed in situ. The Bernie's Holiday Camp ballroom sequence was shot inside the Gaiety Theatre on South Parade Pier. Exterior shots were filmed at Hilsea Lido (Russell had worked there before making The Boy Friend). The Sally Simpson interior sequence was filmed in the Wesley Hall in Fratton Road, Portsmouth. The exterior intro sequence to the scene, however, shows Sally Simpson buying a badge and entering South Parade Pier.

On 11 June 1974, the pier caught fire and was badly damaged while the production was filming there. According to Russell, the fire started during the filming of the scene of Ann-Margret and Oliver Reed dancing together during the "Bernie's Holiday Camp" sequence; smoke from the fire can be seen drifting in front of the camera in several shots. Russell also used a brief exterior shot of the building fully ablaze during the scenes of the destruction of Tommy's Holiday Camp by his disillusioned followers.

The Pinball Wizard sequence was shot at the Kings Theatre in Southsea and the two pinball machines used were a 1965 Kings & Queens by Gottlieb—used by Roger Daltrey—and a Gottlieb Buckaroo also from 1965, used by Elton John. The machines' scoring displays were modified from their originals for the scene, to accommodate for large scores. Other locations on Portsdown Hill, which overlooks Portsmouth and local churches were used. All Saints in Commercial Road was used for the Sally Simpson wedding scene, whilst the meeting in the same sequence was filmed at the Wesley Hall in Fratton Road. The Eyesight to the Blind sequence was filmed at St Andrews Church in Henderson Road in Southsea. The other church featured was Warblington Church near Havant in Hampshire.

The famous scene in which Ann-Margret's character hallucinates that she is cavorting in detergent foam, baked beans, and chocolate reportedly took three days to shoot. According to Russell, the detergent and baked bean sequences were "revenge" parodies of real-life TV advertisements he had directed early in his career, although the baked bean sequence also references one of the cover photos and a parody radio ad from The Who's 1967 album The Who Sell Out. Russell also recalled that Ann-Margret's husband, Roger Smith, strongly objected to the scene in which she slithers around in melted chocolate.

During the filming, Ann-Margret accidentally struck her hand on the broken glass of the TV screen, causing a severe laceration, and Russell had to take her to hospital to have the wound stitched, although she was back on set the next day. The film also includes a scene in which Mrs. Walker watches a parodic TV advertisement for the fictional product "Rex Baked Beans"; the costumes in this segment were originally made for the lavish masked ball sequence in Richard Lester's version of The Three Musketeers, and the dress worn by the Queen in the Rex ad is that worn by Geraldine Chaplin in the earlier film.

Russell recalled that Townshend initially baulked at Russell's wish to have The Who performing behind Elton in the "Pinball Wizard" sequence (they did not perform the audio there), and also objected to wearing the pound-note suits, which were in fact stitched together from novelty pound-note tea-towels. On The Who's involvement with the film, members Daltrey played the title character; Moon played, in essence, a dual role as both Uncle Ernie and as himself along with Entwistle and Townshend miming on their respective instruments in the "Eyesight to the Blind" and "Pinball Wizard" segments. About his role as the Specialist, Jack Nicholson stated: "In my whole career there was only one time when a director said to me, 'OK, come right down the pike and just look beautiful, Jack.' That was Ken Russell on Tommy."

Filming finished in September 1974. Russell then edited the film and supervised the recording of the soundtrack. When it was done, Russell said: "I think it's probably the one thing I've ever done that satisfies me aesthetically. The fact that it's a rock opera as well is a tremendous bonus because people will come see it."

Box office
The film was a box-office hit. By August 1975, it had earned US$27 million (equivalent to $ million in ) in the US alone.

The film made over US$1 million (equivalent to $ million in ) in France.

Russell later called it "the most commercial film I've ever made".

Critical response
The film holds a 71% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 35 reviews, with an average grade of 6.80/10. The critical consensus reads: "Tommy is as erratic and propulsive as a game of pinball, incorporating the Who's songs into an irreverent odyssey with the visual imagination that only director Ken Russell can conjure."

Vincent Canby of The New York Times declared: "It may be the most overproduced movie ever made, but there is wit and reason for this. It is the last word in pop art ... Everything, including the sound level, is too much. But even this works in an odd way. The victim of the movie is as much the person sitting in the audience as it is Tommy." Variety called the film "spectacular in every way ... The production is magnificent, the multitrack sound (tradenamed Quintaphonic) terrific, the casting and acting great, and the name cameos most showmanly."

Roger Ebert gave the film three stars out of four, commenting that its message is muddled and hypocritical, but that its focus is on well-executed, grandiose spectacles rather than any pretense at meaning. He called the pinball tournament sequence "the movie's best single scene: a pulsating, orgiastic turn-on edited with the precision of a machine gun burst." Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune awarded Tommy two-and-a-half stars out of four, calling the film "a disappointing, slap-dash pictorialization of the fine music of the Who [with] no cinematic flow."

Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times called the film "an overwhelming, thunderous, almost continuously astonishing achievement, coherent and consistent from first frames to last." Gary Arnold of The Washington Post wrote that the music of the original album: "...had a certain obscure dignity and integrity, and these qualities don't withstand the Russell treatment. On record Tommy seemed a bit mysterious. On screen it's just banal." Jonathan Rosenbaum of The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote that "even at its most lacklustre and tasteless junctures, Tommy is never boring, and always full of energy; and given the very loose framework and imprecise plot that Russell has to work with, this is no small achievement."

In a retrospective review, Perry Seibert of AllMovie gave the film four stars out of five and described it as "continuously watchable, but the film version of Tommy sacrifices the fragile emotional core of Pete Townshend's work for grandiose spectacle."

Quintaphonic Sound
The original release of Tommy used a sound system devised by sound engineer John Mosely called "Quintaphonic Sound". At the time that the film was in production, various "Quadraphonic" (four-speaker) sound systems were being marketed to the domestic HiFi market. Some of these were so-called matrix systems that combined the four original channels into two, which could be recorded on or transmitted by, existing two-channel stereo systems such as LP records or FM radio. John Mosely used one of these systems (QS Regular Matrix from Sansui) to record front left, front right, back left, and back right channels on the left and right tracks of a four-track magnetic striped print of the Cinemascope type. A discrete centre channel was also recorded on the centre track of the print. The fourth (surround) track on the striped print was left unused. In addition, John Mosely used dbx noise reduction on the magnetic tracks.

Unlike the usual multiple small surround speakers used in cinemas, the Quintaphonic system specified just two rear speakers, but of the same type as those used at the front.

One problem that arose was that by the 1970s the four-track magnetic sound system was largely moribund. Only a few theatres were equipped with the necessary magnetic playback heads and other equipment; of those that did in many cases, it was not in working order. Thus, in addition to installing the extra electronics and rear speakers, John Mosely and his team had to repair and align the basic magnetic playback equipment. Each theatre that showed Tommy using the Quintaphonic system accordingly had to be specially prepared to take the film. In this respect there is a similarity between Tommy and Walt Disney's Fantasia, for which a special sound system (Fantasound) had been devised and required each theatre that showed it in the original release to be specially prepared. Also, like Fantasound, Quintaphonic Sound was never used again (five-channel audio, in the form of 5.1 surround sound, eventually made a comeback).

Tommy was later released with mono, conventional four-track magnetic and Dolby Stereo soundtracks.

The Quintaphonic Sound mix was restored for the DVD and Blu-ray release of the film.

Changes from the album
Unlike some other filmed rock operas (such as the only partially re-recorded soundtrack of Pink Floyd's The Wall), the album is never dubbed over the film. All the songs were rerecorded featuring the film's cast – including Nicholson and Reed, neither of whom were known for their singing ability (Reed's character's songs were cut from Oliver!, and Nicholson's in On a Clear Day You Can See Forever appeared only in the now-lost roadshow version) – performing the songs in character. Of the Who, Daltrey performs as Tommy, Moon performs as Uncle Ernie, and Townshend sings narration in place of recitative.

The song order is shuffled around considerably; this and the addition of several new songs and links creates a more balanced structure of alternating short and long sequences. A large number of songs have new lyrics and instrumentation, and another notable feature is that many of the songs and pieces used on the film soundtrack are alternate versions or mixes from the versions on the soundtrack album.

Differences between 1969 and 1975 versions

 * The film opens with a new instrumental, "Prologue–1945" (partly based on the 1969 "Overture"), which accompanies the opening sequences of Captain Walker's romance and disappearance.
 * "It's a Boy" is separated from "Overture" and becomes the medley "Captain Walker/It's A Boy"; in the film this medley narrates the aftermath of Walker's disappearance, the end of the war and the birth of Tommy.
 * A new song, "Bernie's Holiday Camp", which follows "Captain Walker/It's a Boy", portrays Tommy's childhood and his mother's romance with Hobbs (Oliver Reed). The song also features the melody from, and even foreshadows, "Tommy's Holiday Camp".
 * The story's setting is updated so that the action goes through modern times (modern as of the 1970s). From this, the track "1921" from the album is changed to "1951" and is made a medley, being titled "What About the Boy?" on the soundtrack, in which Capt. Walker dies instead of the lover (Frank, in this context).
 * "The Amazing Journey" (shortened to three minutes) has almost completely different lyrics, and the "guide" from the album is depicted as Tommy's dead father, rather than the "tall stranger" in a "sparked, glittering gown" from the album. A new introduction is also added in lieu of the "Deaf, dumb, and blind boy; he's in a quiet vibration land..." from the album. The movie version also ends with different fantastic lyrics, going "His eyes are the eyes that transmit all he knows, The truth burns so bright it can melt winter snows. A towering shadow, so black and so high, A white sun burning the earth and the sky.".
 * The running order of "Christmas" and "Eyesight to the Blind" is reversed; references to pinball are removed from "Christmas" and the character of The Hawker becomes The Preacher (Clapton), leader of the Marilyn Monroe cult. Arthur Brown is cast as the character The Priest in the film, and sings a verse in the song but is not featured on the soundtrack. According to Russell's DVD audio commentary, the concept of people literally worshipping celebrities (in this case Marilyn Monroe) and several other elements in the film were adapted from his pre-existing treatment for a film about false religions, which he had developed prior to Tommy but for which he had never been able to secure financial backing.
 * The running order of "The Acid Queen" and "Cousin Kevin" is reversed.
 * "Underture" is removed but parts from it have been re-arranged as "Sparks".
 * "Cousin Kevin", "Fiddle About", and "Sparks", linked by three renditions of "Do You Think It's Alright?" form an extended sequence depicting Tommy's inner journey and his trials.
 * A three-minute version of the "Sparks" theme (with, then new, synthesizer orchestration) precedes "Extra, Extra, Extra" and "Pinball Wizard". In the film, it is used behind the sequence of the dazed Tommy wandering into a junkyard and discovering a pinball machine. The music on the film soundtrack (for this and many other songs) is heavily edited, however, and is a noticeably different mix from the version on the soundtrack album.
 * A new linking theme, "Extra, Extra, Extra", narrates Tommy's rise to fame and introduces the battle with the pinball champ. It is set to the tune of "Miracle Cure" and precedes "Pinball Wizard".
 * "Pinball Wizard" has extra lyrics and movements. It features guitar and keyboard solos (the guitars are only readily discernible on the soundtrack album), and an outro with a riff reminiscent of the Who's first single, "I Can't Explain".
 * A new song, "Champagne", which follows "Pinball Wizard", covers the sequence of Tommy's stardom and wealth and his parents' greed. Like many other songs, it features Tommy singing "See Me, Feel Me" interludes: this is the first song with Daltrey singing for Tommy. In the film (but not on the soundtrack), the song is introduced by a mock TV commercial—reminiscent of the Who's early years when they made jingles.
 * "Go to the Mirror" is shortened, not featuring the elements of "Listening To You", nor the phrase "Go to the mirror, boy."
 * "I'm Free" is moved earlier, and now follows "Smash The Mirror!" (as was done on the 1972 symphonic album); it covers the lavish psychedelic sequence depicting Tommy's reawakening.
 * "I'm Free" is followed by a new song, "Mother and Son", which depicts Tommy's rejection of materialism and his vision for a new faith based around pinball.
 * "Sensation", featuring extra lyrics, is moved forward and covers the spread of Tommy's new religion. In the film it occurs between "Sally Simpson" and "Welcome". (On the soundtrack album, it occurs between "Mother and Son" and "Miracle Cure"—with the extra [narration] lyrics and guitar solo included on the cassette and CD versions, but not the LP version.)
 * "Sally Simpson" is re-arranged with a Bo Diddley beat and in the film is preceded by "Miracle Cure"—which features an extra verse.
 * In "Sally Simpson", the album version mentions her father's Rolls-Royce as blue, but the film changes the lyrics to black (the Rolls-Royce in the film is also black).
 * In "Sally Simpson", the album version describes Tommy giving a lesson. In the film, Tommy gives a lesson, and the lyrics are changed to the words of the lesson.
 * In the album version of "Sally Simpson", the title character jumps on the stage and brushes Tommy's cheek, but in the movie she is kicked off the stage before she can get close to Tommy.
 * A new linking piece, "T.V. Studio", is used between "Welcome" and "Tommy's Holiday Camp".
 * The 1969 album's closing track "We're Not Gonna Take It" is split into two pieces, "We're Not Gonna Take It" and medley "See Me Feel Me/Listening To You"; this covers the climactic film sequences of Tommy's fall from grace and his final redemption and opens with an extra chorus sung by the crowd ("These pricey deals don't teach us...").
 * The CD reissue of the soundtrack album opens with a version "Overture From Tommy" previously released on a vinyl single in 1975, but not included either in the film or on the original soundtrack LP. Although the track is listed in the CD's song credits as being performed by The Who, it is actually a Pete Townshend solo number with him playing all the instruments (as with "Prologue – 1945" and other tracks)—neither John Entwistle or Keith Moon appear on it, as they do on all other selections on the soundtrack credited to "The Who," regardless of whether Roger Daltrey performs as vocalist.

title: Tommy (1975 film)


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Richhpal Ram

Richhpal Ram VC (20 August 1899 – 12 February 1941) was an Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

His family
Richhpal Ram came from Barda village, tehsil Satnali district Bhiwani in Haryana.

Career
Ram enlisted on 20 August 1920 in the 4/6th Rajputana Rifles.

He was 41 years old, and a Subedar in the 6th Rajputana Rifles, in the Indian Army during World War II when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC during the Battle of Keren.

On 7 February 1941 at Keren, Eritrea, Subadar Richhpal Ram led a successful attack on the enemy and subsequently repelled six counter-attacks and then, without a shot left, brought the few survivors of his company back. Five days later, when leading another attack, his right foot was blown off, but he continued to encourage his men until he died.

The official citation for the award, published in The London Gazette on 4 July 1941 reads: "The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the posthumous award of the Victoria Cross to the undermentioned: — Subadar Richpal Ram, 6th Rajputana Rifles, Indian Army. During the assault on enemy positions in front of Keren, Eritrea, on the night of 7-8th February, 1941, Subadar Richpal Ram, who was second-in-command of a leading company, insisted on accompanying the forward platoon and led its attack on the first objective with great dash and gallantry. His company commander being then wounded, he assumed command of the company, and led the attack of the remaining two platoons to the final objective. In face of heavy fire, some thirty men with this officer at their head rushed the objective with the bayonet and captured it. The party was completely isolated, but under the inspiring leadership of Subadar Richpal Ram, it beat back six enemy counter-attacks between midnight and 0430 hours. By now, ammunition had run out, and this officer extricated his command and fought his way back to his battalion with a handful of survivors through the surrounding enemy. Again, in the attack on the same position on 12th February, this officer led the attack of his company. He pressed on fearlessly and determinedly in the face of heavy and accurate fire, and by his personal example inspired his company with his resolute spirit until his right foot was blown off. He then suffered further wounds from which he died. While lying wounded he continued to wave his men on, and his final words were ' We'll capture the objective '. The heroism, determination and devotion to duty shown by this officer were beyond praise, and provided an inspiration to all who saw him."

Medal
The Victoria Cross Medal is displayed in Delhi Cantonment Raj Rifles Officer Mess (Museum).

title: Richhpal Ram


text:
Edward Robinson (VC)

Edward Robinson (17 June 1838 – 2 October 1896) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Details
Robinson was 19 years old, and an able seaman in the Royal Navy, serving in the Naval Brigade from HMS Shannon during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC: "For conspicuous bravery, in having at Lucknow, on the 13th of March, 1858, under a heavy musketry fire, within fifty yards, jumped on the sand bags of a battery, and extinguished a fire among them. He was dangerously wounded in performing this service."

The medal
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London.

title: Edward Robinson (VC)


text:
Frank Crowther Roberts

Major-General Frank Crowther Roberts, (2 June 1891 – 12 January 1982) was a British Army officer and an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Early life
Frank Crowther Roberts was born on 2 June 1891 in Highbury, London, the son of Rev. Frank Roberts, vicar of St John's Church, Southall. He was educated at St Lawrence College, Ramsgate and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, where he graduated and was subsequently commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Worcestershire Regiment on 4 March 1911. Roberts was soon posted to the 1st Battalion of his regiment and was sent, along with his battalion, to Alexandria, Egypt, in the following year, to relieve the 2nd Battalion, Worcesters. Roberts was still there upon the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914.

First World War
Roberts, promoted to lieutenant on 3 September 1914, along with his battalion, then commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George Grogan, returned to the United Kingdom shortly after the declaration of war and arrived there in October 1914, where it became part of the 24th Brigade of the newly formed 8th Division, which was then in the process of formation. The battalion was sent to reinforce the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front and landed in France in November 1914.

The battalion was involved in the winter operations 1914–1915 and participated in the Christmas truce, although it is not known if Roberts himself took part. Just less than two months after his arrival in France, Roberts was already proving himself in action, which resulted in his being awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) while leading a trench raid. He was made his battalion's adjutant and fought in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, and was promoted to captain on 6 August 1915 He remained an adjutant until October 1916 when he was made a brigade major of the 8th Division's 23rd Brigade. In this capacity, during the Battle of Passchendaele (also known as the Third Battle of Ypres) in August 1917, Roberts was awarded the Military Cross (MC). His MC citation states the following:

"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. During two days' very hard fighting he showed marked skill and resource under adverse circumstances, and throughout kept a firm grip of the situation. It was largely due to his excellent staff work that the brigade was able to hold its objectives against heavy counterattacks; and, in addition, the daring personal reconnaissances which he made under heavy fire were of the greatest value to headquarters throughout the whole action."

On 24 October 1917 he returned to the 1st Battalion, Worcesters and, aged just twenty-six, was promoted to the acting rank of lieutenant-colonel, and given temporary command of the battalion, becoming one of the British Army's youngest battalion commanders.

He was 26 years old, and an acting lieutenant-colonel in the 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. Lieutenant-Colonel Roberts showed exceptional military skill during the period 22 March – 2 April 1918, in the German spring offensive, west of the Somme and at the village of Pargny, France.

During continuous operations which covered over twelve days Lt-Col Roberts showed most conspicuous bravery, exceptional military skill in dealing with the many very difficult situations of the retirement, and amazing endurance and energy in encouraging and inspiring all ranks under his command.

On one occasion the enemy attacked a village and had practically cleared it of our troops, when this officer got together an improvised party and led a counter-attack which temporarily drove the enemy out of the village, thus covering the retirement of troops on their flanks who would otherwise have been cut off.

The success of this action was entirely due to his personal valour and skill.

Roberts was wounded on 27 March and returned to England for treatment, returning to his battalion on 17 June, where he again assumed command, leading the battalion during the Hundred Days Offensive until the armistice of 11 November 1918. During the First World War, Roberts was wounded three times and mentioned in despatches six times.

Between the wars
He remained in the army during the interwar period, reverting to his permanent rank of captain and serving briefly with the Egyptian Army in the Sudan from 16 February 1919. Returning to England, Roberts attended the Staff College, Camberley, entering in January 1921, shortly afterwards being made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), and graduating in December 1922. Among his many fellow students there were Eric Costin, James Gammell, John Priestman, Edward Alban, Merton Beckwith-Smith, Russell Gurney, Francis Nosworthy, Giffard Martel, John Kennedy, Ridley Pakenham-Walsh, Ralph Eastwood, Edwin Morris, Eric Miles, Robert Naylor, Thomas Corbett, Ernest Squires, Austin Miller, William Baker and Edmund Osborne, all of whom would, like Roberts, become general officers. He later served in Egypt in 1923–24 and with the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). He transferred to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment as a major in July 1927 and served with the regiment's 2nd Battalion in India and the Middle East. His next appointment was as a General Staff Officer Grade 3 (GSO3) with the Iraqi Army and, for his service in Southern Kurdistan, was promoted to brevet lieutenant-colonel.

He married Winifred Margaret Wragg at Bretby, Derbyshire on 23 April 1932; she was the sister of Herbert Wragg MP.

He was made a brevet colonel in 1932 and promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 24 November 1936. In 1937 Roberts became CO of the 1st Battalion, Royal Warwickshires and went with the battalion to India. The following year he became commander of the Poona Brigade of the Indian Army, an unusual posting for an officer of the British Army but a clear sign that his star was on the rise, and was granted the local rank of brigadier from 9 April 1937 until 8 November 1937, before reverting to colonel, when he relinquished command. Returning to England, he was promoted to the rank of major-general on 1 June 1939 (with seniority backdated to 13 June 1939), three months before the outbreak of the Second World War, and became General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 48th (South Midland) Infantry Division, a Territorial Army (TA) formation. Aged just 48, he was one of the youngest divisional commanders in the British Army, only Major-General The Hon. Harold Alexander, GOC of the 1st Infantry Division, and Major-General William Holmes, GOC of the 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division, being younger.

Second World War and retirement
The 48th Division – comprising the 143rd, 144th and 145th Infantry Brigades along with supporting units – being a first-line TA formation, was poorly-trained and equipped, lacking in modern weapons and equipment, had to be rapidly trained to Regular standards in order to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) serving in France. However, in October, Roberts handed over command of the division to Major-General Andrew Thorne and retired from the army on 16 December 1939, three months after the outbreak of the war, after twenty-eight years of military service.

Roberts and his wife, who died 22 December 1980, settled in Stanhope Bretby, Derbyshire. Having no children, he remained there until his death on 12 January 1982 at the age of 90. He was cremated at Bretby crematorium and his ashes buried in his wife's family grave in St Wystan's churchyard, Bretby.

His VC is displayed at the Worcestershire Regimental Collection in the Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum, Worcester, England.

title: Frank Crowther Roberts


text:
Bill Newton

William Ellis Newton, VC (8 June 1919 – 29 March 1943) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to a member of the British and Commonwealth armed forces. He was honoured for his actions as a bomber pilot in Papua New Guinea during March 1943 when, despite intense anti-aircraft fire, he pressed home a series of attacks on the Salamaua Isthmus, the last of which saw him forced to ditch his aircraft in the sea. Newton was still officially posted as missing when the award was made in October 1943. It later emerged that he had been taken captive by the Japanese, and executed by beheading on 29 March.

Raised in Melbourne, Newton excelled at sport, playing cricket at youth state level. He joined the Citizen Military Forces in 1938 and enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in February 1940. Described as having the dash of "an Errol Flynn or a Keith Miller", Newton served as a flying instructor in Australia before being posted to No. 22 Squadron, which began operating Boston light bombers in New Guinea late in 1942. Having just taken part in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, he was on his fifty-second mission when he was shot down and captured. Newton was the only Australian airman to receive a Victoria Cross for action in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II, and the sole Australian to be so decorated while flying with an RAAF squadron.

Family, education and sport
Born in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda on 8 June 1919, Bill Newton was the youngest child of dentist Charles Ellis Newton and his second wife Minnie. His three older half-siblings from Charles' earlier marriage included two brothers, John and Lindsay, and a sister, Phyllis. Bill entered Melbourne Grammar School in 1929, but two years later switched to the nearby St Kilda Park Central School as the family income was reduced through the impact of the Great Depression. In 1934, aged fifteen, he was able to return to Melbourne Grammar where, despite struggling with his schoolwork, he completed his Intermediate certificate. He gave up further study when his father died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of fifty-one, and began working in a silk warehouse.

Considered while at school to be a future leader in the community, Newton was also a talented all-round sportsman, playing cricket, Australian rules football, golf and water polo. A fast bowler in cricket, he was friends with Keith Miller, and collected the Victorian Cricket Association (VCA) Colts bowling trophy for 1937–38; Miller collected the equivalent batting prize. In January 1938, Newton dismissed Test batsman Bill Ponsford—still the only Australian to have twice scored 400 in a first-class innings —for four in a Colts game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The following year, he gained selection in the Victorian Second XI. He opened the bowling against the New South Wales Second XI—his first and only match—taking a total of 3/113 including the wickets of Ron Saggers and Arthur Morris who, like Miller, went on to become members of the Invincibles.

Early career
Newton had been a sergeant in his cadet corps at school, and joined the Citizens Military Force on 28 November 1938, serving as a private in the machine-gun section of the 6th Battalion, Royal Melbourne Regiment. Still employed in the silk warehouse when World War II broke out in September 1939, he resigned to join the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) on 5 February 1940. He had earlier attempted to enlist when he turned eighteen in 1937, but his mother refused to give her permission; with Australia now at war, she consented. His brothers—dentists by profession, like their father—also enlisted in the armed forces, John as a surgeon lieutenant in the Royal Australian Navy and Lindsay as a captain in the Army Medical Corps.

Newton undertook basic training with No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School in Parafield, South Australia, flying De Havilland Tiger Moths, and with No. 21 (City of Melbourne) Squadron at RAAF Station Laverton, Victoria, flying CAC Wirraways. He was awarded his wings and commissioned as a pilot officer on 28 June 1940. Following advanced training on Avro Ansons with No. 1 Service Flying Training School at RAAF Point Cook in September, he was selected to become a flight instructor. He completed the requisite course at Central Flying School in Camden, New South Wales, and was promoted to flying officer on 28 December. He subsequently began training students under the Empire Air Training Scheme at No. 2 Service Flying Training School near Wagga Wagga, under the command of Group Captain Frederick Scherger.

In October 1941, Newton transferred to No. 5 Service Flying Training School at Uranquinty. He found instruction frustrating, as he longed for a combat assignment. His fortunes changed in February 1942, when he was selected for the navigation course on Ansons at the General Reconnaissance School based at Laverton. From there he was sent to No. 1 Operational Training Unit at Sale, Victoria, for conversion to Lockheed Hudson twin-engined light bombers during March and April.

Promoted to flight lieutenant on 1 April 1942, Newton was posted the following month to No. 22 (City of Sydney) Squadron, based at RAAF Station Richmond, New South Wales. Previously equipped with Hudsons, the unit had just begun converting to the more advanced Douglas Boston when Newton arrived. A comrade described him as a "big brash, likeable man who could drink most of us under the table, was a good pilot, good at sports, and had a way with girls". No. 22 Squadron was engaged in convoy escort and anti-submarine patrols off Sydney from July to September, before moving north to Townsville, Queensland. In November, it was deployed to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, under the control of No. 9 Operational Group RAAF.

New Guinea campaign
Newton undertook the first of his fifty-two operational sorties on 1 January 1943, under the leadership of his commanding officer, Squadron Leader Keith Hampshire. During February, Newton flew low-level missions through monsoon conditions and hazardous mountain terrain, attacking Japanese forces ranged against Allied troops in the Morobe province. In early March, he took part in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, one of the key engagements in the South West Pacific theatre, bombing and strafing Lae airfield to prevent its force of enemy fighters taking off to intercept Allied aircraft attacking the Japanese fleet. Newton gained a reputation for driving straight at his targets without evasive manoeuvre, and always leaving them in flames; this earned him the nickname "The Firebug". The Japanese gunners reportedly knew him as "Blue Cap", from his habit of wearing an old blue cricket cap on operations. In spite of the hazards of the air war in New Guinea, he was quoted as saying, "The troops on the ground should get two medals each, before any airman gets one".

Attacks on Salamaua
On 16 March 1943, Newton led a sortie on the Salamaua Isthmus in which his Boston was hit repeatedly by Japanese anti-aircraft fire, suffering damage to its fuselage, wings, fuel tanks, and undercarriage. He continued his attack and dropped his bombs at low level on buildings, ammunition dumps and fuel stores, returning for a second pass at the target to strafe it with machine-gun fire. Newton managed to get his crippled machine back to base, where it was found to be marked with ninety-eight bullet holes. Two days later, he and his two-man crew made a further attack on Salamaua with five other Bostons. As he bombed his designated target, Newton's plane was seen to burst into flames, having been raked by cannon fire from the ground. Attempting to keep his aircraft aloft as long as possible to get his crew away from enemy lines, he was able to ditch in the sea approximately 1000 yd offshore.

The Boston's navigator, Sergeant Basil Eastwood, was killed in the forced landing but Newton and his wireless operator, Flight Sergeant John Lyon, survived and managed to swim ashore. Several of the other aircraft in the flight circled the area; one returned to base straight away to inform Hampshire, and the remainder were later forced to depart through lack of fuel. Newton and Lyon originally made their way inland with the help of natives, aiming to contact an Australian Coastwatcher, but subsequently returned to the coast. There they were captured by a Japanese patrol of No. 5 Special Naval Landing Force. The two airmen were taken to Salamaua and interrogated until 20 March, before being moved to Lae, where Lyon was bayoneted to death on the orders of Rear Admiral Ruitaro Fujita, the senior Japanese commander in the area. Newton was taken back to Salamaua where, on 29 March 1943, he was ceremonially beheaded with a samurai sword by Sub-Lieutenant Uichi Komai, the naval officer who had captured him. Komai was killed in the Philippines soon afterwards, and Fujita committed suicide at the end of the war.

Revelations and reactions
It was initially believed that Newton had failed to escape from the Boston after it ditched into the sea, and he was posted as missing. Hampshire had immediately dispatched a sortie to recover the pair that were last seen swimming for shore, but no sign of them was found. Two weeks later, he wrote a letter to Newton's mother in which he described her son's courage and expressed the hope that he might yet be found alive. Hampshire concluded, "Bill is one of those rare fellows I shall miss for a long time, and if it is to be, remember for an age". The details of his capture and execution were only revealed later that year in a diary found on a Japanese soldier. Newton was not specifically named, but he was identified by circumstantial evidence: the diary entry recorded the beheading of an Australian flight lieutenant who had been shot down by anti-aircraft fire on 18 March 1943 while flying a Douglas aircraft. The Japanese observer described the prisoner as "composed" in the face of his impending execution, and "unshaken to the last". After the decapitation, a seaman slashed open the dead man's stomach, declaring, "Something for the other day. Take that."

General Headquarters South West Pacific Area released details of the execution on 5 October, but initially refused to name Newton due to the lack of absolute certainty as to identification. Air Vice Marshal Bill Bostock, Air Officer Commanding RAAF Command, contended that naming him would change the impact of the news upon Newton's fellow No. 22 Squadron members "from the impersonal to the closely personal" and hence "seriously affect morale". News of the atrocity provoked shock in Australia. In an attempt to alleviate anxiety among the families of other missing airmen, the Federal government announced on 12 October that the relatives of the slain man had been informed of his death.

Victoria Cross
Newton was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on 16–18 March, becoming the only Australian airman to earn the decoration in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II, and the only one while flying with an RAAF squadron. The citation, which incorrectly implied that he was shot down on 17 March rather than the following day, and as having failed to escape from his sinking aircraft, was promulgated in The London Gazette on 19 October 1943:

"Air Ministry, 19th October, 1943. The KING has been graciously pleased, on the advice of Australian Ministers, to confer the VICTORIA CROSS on the undermentioned officer in recognition of most conspicuous bravery: —

Flight Lieutenant William Ellis NEWTON (Aus. 748), Royal Australian Air Force, No. 22 (R.A.A.F.) Squadron (missing).

Flight Lieutenant Newton served with No. 22 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, in New Guinea from May, 1942, to March, 1943, and completed 52 operational sorties.

Throughout, he displayed great courage and an iron determination to inflict the utmost damage on the enemy. His splendid offensive flying and fighting were attended with brilliant success. Disdaining evasive tactics when under the heaviest fire, he always went straight to his objectives. He carried out many daring machine-gun attacks on enemy positions involving low-flying over long distances in the face of continuous fire at point-blank range.

On three occasions, he dived through intense anti-aircraft fire to release his bombs on important targets on the Salamaua Isthmus. On one of these occasions, his starboard engine failed over the target, but he succeeded in flying back to an airfield 160 miles away. When leading an attack on an objective on 16 March 1943, he dived through intense and accurate shell fire and his aircraft was hit repeatedly. Nevertheless, he held to his course and bombed his target from a low level. The attack resulted in the destruction of many buildings and dumps, including two 40,000-gallon fuel installations. Although his aircraft was crippled, with fuselage and wing sections torn, petrol tanks pierced, main-planes and engines seriously damaged, and one of the main tyres flat, Flight Lieutenant Newton managed to fly it back to base and make a successful landing.

Despite this harassing experience, he returned next day to the same locality. His target, this time a single building, was even more difficult but he again attacked with his usual courage and resolution, flying a steady course through a barrage of fire. He scored a hit on the building but at the same moment his aircraft burst into flames.

Flight Lieutenant Newton maintained control and calmly turned his aircraft away and flew along the shore. He saw it as his duty to keep the aircraft in the air as long as he could so as to take his crew as far away as possible from the enemy's positions. With great skill, he brought his blazing aircraft down on the water. Two members of the crew were able to extricate themselves and were seen swimming to the shore, but the gallant pilot is missing. According to other air crews who witnessed the occurrence, his escape-hatch was not opened and his dinghy was not inflated. Without regard to his own safety, he had done all that man could do to prevent his crew from falling into enemy hands.

Flight Lieutenant Newton's many examples of conspicuous bravery have rarely been equalled and will serve as a shining inspiration to all who follow him."

Legacy
Buried initially in an unmarked bomb crater in Salamaua, Newton's body was recovered and re-interred in Lae War Cemetery after Salamaua's capture by Allied troops in September 1943. His grave marker bears the epitaph. In early 1944, the recently constructed No. 4 Airfield in Nadzab was renamed Newton Field in his honour. For many years, the story of Newton's death was intertwined with that of an Australian commando, Sergeant Len Siffleet, who had also been captured in New Guinea. A photograph showing Siffleet about to be beheaded was discovered by American troops in April 1944 and was thought to have depicted Newton in Salamaua, but there is no known photograph of the airman's execution.

Newton's mother Minnie was presented with her son's Victoria Cross by the Governor-General, the Duke of Gloucester, on 30 November 1945. She donated it to the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, where it remains on display with his other medals. Newton is also commemorated on Canberra's Remembrance Driveway. In the 1990s, his friend Keith Miller successfully fought to ensure that the Victoria Racing Club abandoned a plan to rename the William Ellis Newton Steeplechase—run on Anzac Day—after a commercial sponsor. Later in the decade, Miller also publicly questioned Australia Post's exclusion of Newton from a series of stamps featuring notable Australians such as cricketer Sir Donald Bradman. A plaque dedicated to No. 22 Squadron was unveiled at the Australian War Memorial by the Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Angus Houston, on 16 March 2003, the sixtieth anniversary of Newton's attack on Salamaua.

title: Bill Newton