Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William Edward Norris, son of Gamekeeper Edward Norris and Mary Jane Roberts, was born on 1 Feb 1884 in Petham, Kent England, UK and died in 1959 in Brisbane Queensland Australia.

William, a Decorator, migrated to Australia in 1912 departing London on 29 February on the SS Gothic. On 14 September 1915 William enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in Queensland.

After training in Egypt he joined the 52nd Battallion at Serapeum on 2nd April 1916, departing Alexandria and arriving at Marseilles 12th June 1916. He served in France and was wounded in action on 3 September 1916 receiving severe gunshot wounds to his neck, shoulder and back.

When I was a very young boy I asked him if he was wounded in the war and he said "the German soldiers were underground and waited until our soldiers had passed above before appearing from behind." I now think, knowing the date he was wounded, this was the Battle for Mouquet Farm.

During his recovery in England he met Elsie Maud Stagg. He returned to the 52nd Battalion on 5th October 1917. On 16th May 1918 he joined the 49th Battallion until the Armistice. At the end of the war William and Elsie married.

On 12 December 1919 they returned to Australia on the Orontes where William was discharged medically unfit with impaired hearing. They settled in Nanango, Queensland and raised three daughters and a son Billie, who was killed in a mishap at school. They named their second daughter Hamel after the French village Le Hamel where Australian troops under the command of General Monash fought a decisive battle. Source - National Archives of Australia.

The following obituary is from a 1959 Nanango Daily - "A former and highly respected citizen of Nanango, Mr. William Norris, passed away in Brisbane recently. The deceased who was a First World War digger, had not enjoyed good health for a number of years, but he had often re-visited Nanango, the last occasion being early last month when he met many old friends at the show. The late Bill Norris was a native of England but came to Nanango shortly after the first war and was employed by the Nanango Shire Council. As an employee he was a hard working and conscientious man, and his leisure time was spent on his home and garden. He was a good neighbour and friend and was always willing and happy to assist any movement for the benefit of the town and district. The local RSL and the Church of England were among his main interests. He is survived by his widow and three grown up daughters, and to these we extend our sincere sympathy."