WILLIAM HENRY NEWTON II
Torpedoman’s Mate Second Class · Plankowner, USS Silversides (SS-236) · Triple Plankowner
| Born / Died | 30 Dec 1919, Philadelphia, PA / 3 Aug 1986 |
| Service no. | 243-62-62 |
| Commissioning rate | TM2c (15 Dec 1941) |
| Silversides tenure | 15 Dec 1941 – 11 Dec 1942 |
| Patrols aboard | 3 (11 ships credited, 53,377 t)² |
| Other vessels | Bonefish (SS-223), Flasher (SS-249) |
| Service | 30 Dec 1938 – 9 Nov 1945 (BIRLS) |
Prewar (1919–1941)
William Newton was born in Philadelphia on 30 December 1919 and enlisted on his nineteenth birthday, 30 December 1938. His father James, a locomotive engineer, died on 19 September 1930. His brother John Robert, the youngest, also served in the Navy, enlisting in Philadelphia on 25 September 1942. After the war William moved to Rome, Georgia, so he is easily confused with a Georgia-born William Henry Newton, a seaman aboard USS Whitney in the 1930 census, who is a different man.
On Silversides (Dec 1941 – Dec 1942)
Newton commissioned aboard *Silversides* on 15 December 1941 as TM2c and made her first three war patrols under C.C. Burlingame. He left on 11 December 1942, six days before the fourth patrol sailed, for ComSubDiv 102 “for duty.”
| Patrol | Dates | CO | Credited sunk | Credited damaged |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 Apr – 21 Jun 1942 | Burlingame | 5 (25,627 t)¹ | 1 (10,100 t) |
| 2 | 15 Jul – 8 Sep 1942 | Burlingame | 4 (15,250 t) | 2 (5,750 t) |
| 3 | 2 Oct – 25 Nov 1942 | Burlingame | 2 (12,500 t)² | 0 |
| Total | 11 (53,377 t) | 3 (15,850 t) |
¹ Tonnage as credited in endorsements. Patrol 1 includes a submarine credit that was likely a log or other debris.
² Patrol 3 figures come from the ship’s history, not a patrol report. The total therefore mixes bases.
Later War (1943–1945)
He was a plankowner of two more Gato-class boats. USS Bonefish (SS-223) commissioned on 31 May 1943, and he came aboard as TM1c. On 16 July he was sent to the Submarine Base, New London, for treatment, and his time in her was cut short by a naval hospital stay. He rejoined the building crew of USS Flasher (SS-249), which commissioned on 25 September 1943, and stayed through her fifth war patrol. He transferred on 3 January 1945 to Submarine Division 182, flag allowance and relief crew, and BIRLS gives his discharge as 9 November 1945.
Postwar (1945–1986)
Newton moved to Georgia and became an executive of the Primrose Tapestry Company, the textile firm’s southern branch, rising to vice president. He married Susie Pauline Branch in 1950. He died on 3 August 1986.
Research Notes
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Name: disambiguator II. The earliest muster settled the enlistment date, and BIRLS and a Pennsylvania benefits application, both with this SN, confirmed it. The first attempt matched a Georgia-born William Henry Newton on the Whitney in 1930. This is recorded as a coincidence, as he later lived in Rome, Georgia.
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Confounds in frontmatter: an uncle William H. Newton (mill proprietor), a brother John R. Newton (b. 1922), and an uncle John R. Newton (b. 1893).
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Patrol count: 3 is derived from the 11 Dec 1942 departure, and the file has no
silversides_patrols.verify -
Flasher: “through her 5th patrol” is from the note. The note’s sentence about a fifth-patrol endorsement signed by C.C. Burlingame, acting Commander Submarine Squadron Eight, is not attached to a boat; it is read here as Flasher’s.
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Bonefish: the transfer reads “SM Base New London for treatment Auth: Bu. M&S for ‘G’.” The meaning of “G” is open.
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Tinosa pair: Glenn K. Hickman and Elroy F. Wilke both went to Tinosa and left in January 1944.
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Open: OMPF, marriage record, Flasher patrol dates.
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Source notes (carried over, verbatim):
Research Notes
USS Whitney in 1930 as Seaman 1st class.
occupation-father-locomotive-engineer
Transferred to COMSUBDIV 102 for duty on 11 Dec 1942.
Transferred to SM Base New London For Treatment Auth: Bu. M&S For “G” 16 Jul 1943.
Transferred to SubDiv 182 FA & RC 3Jan45SRS-031: William Henry Newton. ~~In 1930 he was aboard the USS Whitney as a 20 year old. Born in Georgia he was a S1c on the 1930 census. TM2c at commissioning for Silversides. William Seth Newton. Railroad Conductor. Died in 1928, the same time as William’s enlistment. Same pattern as Clark, who’s father was killed by a falling tree. He may have chosen the Navy because his father died and all he had left was a step-mother. William was born the year before his mother died. William remarried Edith Short Paterson in 1913. Pulled from Research Notes 18AUG26. ~~
William Henry Newton was a common name confound. Finding his earliest muster settled his enlistment date. Worth noting the perichoretic error itself. I was put onto a man from Georgia that showed up on a Philadelphia census aboard the USS Whitney. The name matched and it was plausible that a career man would be commissioning a boat a week after Pearl Harbor. The real William Henry Newton II was originally from Philadelphia and moved to Rome, GA after the war. This is a whimsical coincidence and nothing more, but it is noted. Confirmed through BIRLS matching his enlistment date on his earliest muster from 1939. Confirmed by his PA Benefits application with his SN. Married Susie Pauline “Polly” Branch Newton in 1950. Vice president of Primrose Tapestry Company of Georgia. In 1929 the firm expanded their operations into the south. William’s father was James Franklin Newton, born 26 May 1890 and died 19 Sep 1930, death certificate is available on Findagrave. Both brothers served. John Robert, the youngest was in the navy as well, SN 651-50-68 enlisted 25 Sep 1942 in Philadelphia.
Quite the line up of ships this man commissioned. Sailed war patrols on Silversides and Flasher, commissioned Bonefish and was pulled away by a trip to the naval hospital. Commissioned Flasher 2 months later. Aboard through her 5th patrol. He was aboard Silversides for Creed Burlingame’s tenure as skipper and then the 5th war patrol report’s first endorsement is signed by C. C. Burlingame, Acting commander Submarine Squadron Eight.
HICKMAN and WILKE both went to Tinosa. They both stayed through January 1944. HICKMAN went to BLUEFISH Flag and Wilke went to PUFFER Flag.
Sources: 1930 census; BIRLS; Pennsylvania benefits application; Find a Grave; Silversides, Bonefish and Flasher musters and ROCs.