Having been commissioned as a pilot officer midway through his Korean service, Newham's next posting was with No. 78 (Fighter) Wing on Malta, where he flew de Havilland Vampires until 1955. The wing had been on garrison duty in Malta since July 1952, and Newham was one of five Korean War veterans who replaced pilots posted back to Australia. He married Jo Cranston in 1956; the couple had two daughters and a son. By November 1957, Newham had been promoted to flight lieutenant and was undergoing conversion training on the CAC Sabre. From 1958 to 1960 he served in Malaya with No. 3 Squadron, whose Sabres conducted operations against communist guerrillas in the final years of the Malayan Emergency.