GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY
After the Boer War Norman was posted on attachment to Sierra Leone for service with the West African Frontier Force. He arrived in Sierra Leone in October 1903, and advanced to Captain (local rank), Sierra Leone Battalion, in May the following year. Norman served under Captain C. E. Palmer, R.A. as part of the Kissi Field Force for the punitive expedition against the Kissi tribes on the eastern border of the Sierra Leone Protectorate, 27 March - 28 June 1905. He advanced to Captain in November 1906, and in the following month commanded a detachment during operations near Lela and Wulade, Sierra Leone. These operations were to combat Chief Donna on the Liberian Frontier, and the History of the Sierra Leone Battalion of the Royal West African Frontier Force by Lieutenant R. P. M. Davies, gives the following:
‘Consequently, in December, another detachment under Captain Norman with Lieutenant Bill, was dispatched. Donna’s last raid had been some ten miles away from the Wulade post and his men were eventually run into by Captain Norman’s force near the town of Lela, about eight miles north of Wulade. The fighting which ensued was close and serious, and Captain Norman was severely wounded in the thigh and side [29 December 1906] and, after several other men had been hit, Lieutenant Bill was forced back to retire on to the post at Wulade.’
Lieutenant Bill’s report of the action on 29 December 1906, for which Norman’s force consisted of Bill, 32 men and 4 carriers, states:
‘At 7am Capt Norman and myself started from Lela on patrol to Faero and on towards Fuindu to look at the place where the raiders were stated to have crossed. At 7.40 we saw many armed men running towards the river Maffissa assumed to be Yigbo’s men watching the river side. At 8am about a quarter of a mile from Fuindu war boys in the bush levelled guns at our point; they were hailed and ceased threatening.
Advancing 100 yards many war boys were met in a threatening attitude. They were called by the interpreter and said they were Yigbo’s people and those close to us also ceased threatening, but one or two further off fired their guns probably not having heard the palavering and the firing at once became general through excitement. Not wishing to bring on trouble through any misunderstanding or alarm on their part we retired slowly only returning their fire when they came too close for safety.
Captain Norman having determined to take no aggressive action whatever but to get Yigbo to explain to his people our peaceful intentions. At this time Pte Mormo Samura was slightly wounded in the leg.
At 8.55am we reached Faero and left L/C Susa Kambia and 8 men there in case they followed up and burnt the town. The war boys reached the town soon after we had left. Captain Norman and I reached Lela at 9.15am and lined the town having sent for Yigbo so that he might assure his people that we did not wish to fight with him. He was not forthcoming however probably alarmed at the firing.
At 10.10am the war boys made a sudden attack on Lela reaching our defensive line. They were driven out at once, but kept up a heavy fire from the bush all round. Captain Norman then took some men to turn them out and clear the bush, when he and Sergt. Pongas were unfortunately severely wounded.’
Norman spent the following seven months on recuperative leave, before returning to Sierra Leone in August 1907. Serving as a Company Commander, he was once again in action the following year:
‘1908 was an uneventful year, and but little patrolling was done. In April and May, however, the peace of the Panguma and Bandajuma Districts was threatened, but the trouble was confined only to local disturbances amongst the natives, and a special patrol of “C” Company, under Captain Norman, returned to Wulade after touring the disturbed districts.’ (History of the Sierra Leone Battalion of the Royal West African Frontier Force by Lieutenant R. P. M. Davies, refers)
In 1909 Norman returned to the UK, and served as Adjutant with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers from April 1911 - October 1913. He served as Adjutant, 4th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment (T.F.), February 1914 - June 1915. Norman was promoted to Major in September 1915, and served during the Great War in the French theatre of war from May 1915. He commanded the 15th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 19 September 1916 - 27 January 1918, and ‘the outbreak of World War I on the 4th August, 1914, found... Norman holding the rank of Captain in the Royal Welch Fusiliers and being employed with the Territorial Army in the rank of Acting Major as Adjutant of the 4th Battalion The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.
The son of a former Royal Welch Fusilier Officer, he was destined, like so many of his fellow Captains in the Regiment, to play his full part in the front line struggles of that long and exhausting campaign until, like them, the Armistice found him in command of Brigade in the field. Space does not permit a detailed record of his services but the highlights were the command of the 15th Battalion in the summer of 1917, when he was wounded in the heavy fighting at Langemark and the command of the 17th Battalion in the final breakdown of the enemy resistance before the Armistice in 1918.’ (The Journal of The Royal Welch Fusiliers, Winter 1955, refers)
Norman was twice wounded during the Great War, and having been made Brevet Lieutenant Colonel in January 1918, he was appointed to the command of the 7th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry. He served as officer commanding of the 17th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, July 1918 - April 1919, and subsequently:
‘After the war he commanded the 1st Battalion in India (succeeding Lt. Colonel Cockburn in 1920 and later handing over command to Lt. Colonel C. S. Owen) and also for a period commanding the 2nd Battalion during the Sinn Fein troubles in Ireland. He later commanded the 158th (Royal Welch) Infantry Brigade with Headquarters at Wrexham.... In 1929 he was appointed Inspector-General of the British Forces in West Africa, a position that he held until his retirement. As might be expected, he returned to the active list to help his country in World War II but his age limited his employment to an administrative capacity.’ (The Journal of The Royal Welch Fusiliers, Winter 1955, refers)
Norman advanced to Colonel in January 1922, and Temporary Brigadier in 1929. He served as Inspector-General, Royal West African Frontier Force, from October 1930, and as Inspector-General, King’s African Rifles (when the roles combined to become a single appointment) September 1931 - July 1934. He retired in the latter year, and died in February 1955.
Sold with a large amount of copied research, and several photographic images of the recipient.
www.dnw.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212 |
Page 213 |
Page 214 |
Page 215 |
Page 216 |
Page 217 |
Page 218 |
Page 219 |
Page 220 |
Page 221 |
Page 222 |
Page 223 |
Page 224 |
Page 225 |
Page 226 |
Page 227 |
Page 228 |
Page 229 |
Page 230 |
Page 231 |
Page 232 |
Page 233 |
Page 234 |
Page 235 |
Page 236 |
Page 237 |
Page 238 |
Page 239 |
Page 240 |
Page 241 |
Page 242 |
Page 243 |
Page 244 |
Page 245 |
Page 246 |
Page 247 |
Page 248 |
Page 249 |
Page 250 |
Page 251 |
Page 252 |
Page 253 |
Page 254 |
Page 255 |
Page 256 |
Page 257 |
Page 258 |
Page 259 |
Page 260 |
Page 261 |
Page 262 |
Page 263 |
Page 264 |
Page 265 |
Page 266 |
Page 267 |
Page 268 |
Page 269 |
Page 270 |
Page 271 |
Page 272 |
Page 273 |
Page 274 |
Page 275 |
Page 276 |
Page 277 |
Page 278 |
Page 279 |
Page 280 |
Page 281 |
Page 282 |
Page 283 |
Page 284 |
Page 285 |
Page 286 |
Page 287 |
Page 288 |
Page 289 |
Page 290 |
Page 291 |
Page 292 |
Page 293 |
Page 294 |
Page 295 |
Page 296 |
Page 297 |
Page 298 |
Page 299 |
Page 300 |
Page 301 |
Page 302 |
Page 303 |
Page 304 |
Page 305 |
Page 306 |
Page 307 |
Page 308 |
Page 309 |
Page 310 |
Page 311 |
Page 312 |
Page 313 |
Page 314 |
Page 315 |
Page 316 |
Page 317 |
Page 318 |
Page 319 |
Page 320 |
Page 321 |
Page 322 |
Page 323 |
Page 324 |
Page 325 |
Page 326 |
Page 327 |
Page 328 |
Page 329 |
Page 330 |
Page 331 |
Page 332 |
Page 333 |
Page 334 |
Page 335 |
Page 336 |
Page 337 |
Page 338 |
Page 339 |
Page 340 |
Page 341 |
Page 342 |
Page 343 |
Page 344 |
Page 345 |
Page 346 |
Page 347 |
Page 348 |
Page 349 |
Page 350 |
Page 351 |
Page 352 |
Page 353 |
Page 354 |
Page 355 |
Page 356 |
Page 357 |
Page 358 |
Page 359 |
Page 360 |
Page 361 |
Page 362 |
Page 363 |
Page 364 |
Page 365 |
Page 366 |
Page 367 |
Page 368 |
Page 369 |
Page 370 |
Page 371 |
Page 372 |
Page 373 |
Page 374 |
Page 375 |
Page 376 |
Page 377 |
Page 378 |
Page 379 |
Page 380 |
Page 381 |
Page 382 |
Page 383 |
Page 384 |
Page 385 |
Page 386 |
Page 387 |
Page 388 |
Page 389 |
Page 390 |
Page 391
