16 Facts About Brinley Newton-John

Brinley Newton-John was widely popular as a professor, being respected and beloved by his students.

Brinley Newton-John's charisma earned him a fellowship with the Royal Society of Arts in 1972.

Brinley Newton-John was born on 5 March 1914 in Cardiff, Wales, to a teacher, Oliver John, and his wife Daisy.

Brinley Newton-John went on to earn a Double first in German and in French, getting his bachelor's degree in 1935 and his master's degree in 1939.

At a young age, Brinley Newton-John had an interest in music, learning to play the violin.

Brinley Newton-John's mother had been a singer in the Royal Welsh Ladies Choir and he had even considered a career in music as a professional singer.

Brinley Newton-John initially served as an administrator at Christ's Hospital from 1936 to 1938 and at Stowe School from 1938 until 1940.

Brinley Newton-John was commissioned in the British Royal Air Force during the Second World War, where he was sorted into the intelligence department.

Notably, Brinley Newton-John arrested Rudolf Hess, who had landed in Scotland.

Brinley Newton-John participated in the highly classified project at Bletchley Park, aimed at breaking the code of the German Enigma machine.

Brinley Newton-John served a number of roles before eventually becoming deputy vice-chancellor of the college until his retirement in 1974.

Brinley Newton-John appeared on an episode of The Valleys People in 1980.

Brinley Newton-John married Valerie Ter Wee, a bookshop manager and pianist, who later worked as a clinical psychologist, on 28 June 1963.

Brinley Newton-John had an additional two children with Ter Wee.

Brinley Newton-John divorced his second wife and married journalist Gay Mary Jean Holley on 21 August 1983.

Brinley Newton-John died of liver cancer on 3 July 1992 at Manly; he was cremated.