[3][9] When a State election was announced for 20 November 1943, Newton was pre-selected as the Labor Party (ALP) candidate for the seat of Greenough in the Legislative Assembly (lower house).

[3] Newton was elected with 52.81% (1,944 of 3,733 votes cast) of the first preferences,[10] defeating the incumbent, William Patrick of the Country Party.

Towards the end of 1943, Newton took part in a BBC Radio Overseas Service program Calling Australian Towns, giving a speech that he styled as an address to his constituents in Greenough (see excerpt, left).

[12][13] (A veteran of the North African and Greek campaigns with the Australian Army, Brand later became Premier and retained Greenough until his retirement from politics in 1975.)

There may be only one other example: Thomas White was an RAAF staff officer in Europe during the Second World War, while continuing to represent a federal electorate in Victoria.

[n 4] In 1941, Newton was called up and enlisted in the Citizen Air Force (as the RAAF reserve was known at the time) on 17 August 1941, with the service number 415270.

[4] At the time, the Australian Defence Act prevented the posting of reservists and conscripts to units outside the South West Pacific theatre.

"[4] In a newspaper interview published in November 1943, Newton mentioned that all of the other members of his original crew had been killed, while flying with another pilot.

[4]) He added that he expected to complete a tour of duty (which at the time comprised 30 sorties) "by Christmas", suggesting that he was flying, on average, three or four operations per week.

On 14 January 1944, Newton was the captain of Lancaster B.III, JA905 (squadron code "MG-V"),[n 5] which was recorded as taking off from Oakington at 16:53, with the crew to mark targets for the main bomber force around Braunschweig (Brunswick), in Lower Saxony.

[16][17][18] (Nigel Richards had partly inspired the main character in Cyril Connolly's pre-war novel The Rock Pool.

[16] The wreckage of both bombers had been subjected to massive explosions and/or intense fires, which prevented positive identification of either the aircraft or the remains of their crews.

[21] The bomber was reportedly damaged several times by the fighters and caught fire; it then "lost height and completed a 180 degree turn", before apparently attempting a crash landing in a field.

[20] At about 19:00 the bomber exploded violently as it hit the ground, in a field just inside the town limits of Warmeloh, but nearer to the village of Hope,[2][16][20] about four miles (6.5 km) south of Schwarmstedt.