Thanks to BRONNO we now know that the Officer is Henry NEWTON.
- 2nd Lieut. 1st Volunteer Battalion The Sherwood Foresters, 28.4.1906.
- Lieutenant 5th Battalion, 18.9.1909 and Captain 17.11.1912.
- Lieut-Colonel and O.C. II Army R.E. Workshops 1915-17.
Confirming that this is a picture of the 5th (Derby) Battalion, Machine Gun Section taken in 1912.
Derbyshire Territorials in the Great War 
My great grandfather was Major Henry Leigh Newton, who served with the Royal Artillery in the 46th Midland Division, attached to the Derbyshire Howitzers. I understand the 2 officers paths crossed so my great grandfather was known as Leigh Newton. Served at Loos, Somme, Arras (won DSO) critically injured at Passchandaelle.
The Henry Newton (pictured) was an inventor of trench weopons, mortars and grenades I believe, he had an engineering firm before the war Newton Bros in Derby. The company survived until fairly recently.
Dear Jeremy. Thanks for your message – thats really interesting. And what a coincidence that their paths crossed. I’ve come across a few references to Newton ‘the inventor’ in the 2nd Army Workshop from about April 1915. Apparently Newton and his men made the first grenades in an abandoned blacksmith shop in Kemmel whilst out of the front line – very industrious!
thanks Mike