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Norbert was the son of Robert Edwin RICE & Mary Edith KAIN and was born on the 22nd of April 1896 in Riverton, SA.

His parents were married on the 27th of April 1895 in St Anacletus Church, Peterborough, SA.

His father was the son of John RICE & Mary Ellen WADE and was born on the 26th of May 1896 in Sandy Creek, SA.

His mother was the daughter of John KAIN & Mary Anne DE LACY and was born in 1873 in Native Valley, SA.

Norbert was the eldest child born into the family of 7 children; 5 boys, 2 girls.

His father was employed as a ticket clerk & assistant station manager with the South Australian Railways and the Rice family moved quite often following his father’s employment.

His father had been transferred to Riverton and then in 1903 they were transferred to Quorn and in February 1907 they were transferred to Burra.

In February 1908 his father was promoted to Stationmaster at the Bugle Ranges Railway Station and whilst here Norbert and his siblings attended the little Bugle Ranges School.

In December 1910 they were transferred to Copley Station, near Leigh Creek.

A presentation was made to his parents at Bugle Ranges on the eve of their departure for Copley Station. Both his parents had been useful residents and they were made the recipients of a handsome clock by the members of the tennis club, the woodcarters, and other friends. Keen regret was expressed at the departure and best wishes voiced for their future.

In February 1913 the family were transferred to Georgetown.

After completing his schooling Norbert gained employment as a Clerk with the South Australian Railways, Traffic Superintendents Office in Quorn.

At the age of 21, Norbert enlisted into the AIF on the 1st of November 1915 in Adelaide and was allotted the service number 3943 and was posted to E Company, 2nd Depot at Exhibition Camp (Jubilee Oval).

On the 16th of November he was transferred to the Engineers at Mitcham Camp and he then attended Signalling School on the 1st of December, for 2 weeks.

On the 16th of January he was transferred to the 27th Battalion, 9th Reinforcements.

With Norbert’s embarkation scheduled for the 7th of February 1916, he married Lillian Webster BALL on the 6th of February 1916 in St John Church, Brooklyn Park, SA (The day prior to his embarkation).

Lillian was the daughter of William Webster BALL & Ann BARTON and was born on the 6th of January 1886 in Wandsworth, England.

Norbert embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A28 Miltiades on the 7th of February 1916, disembarking in Alexandria on the 11th of March.

Norbert was transferred to the 2nd Divisional Cyclist Company and proceeded to France on the 22nd of March. They disembarked in Marseilles on the 30th and marched to Santi Rest Camp and then entrained to Berguette the following day, arriving on the 4th of April.

The 2nd Divisional Cyclist Company was used as despatch riders and conducting reconnaissance and patrolling.

He was then transferred back to the 27th Battalion and served on the Western Front before being wounded.

After he recovered he was transferred to the Signals and then to the Pay Corps in Boulogne and then England.

Norbert embarked for Australia on board HT Anchises, on the 22nd of August 1919, disembarking in Adelaide on the 5th of October.

Norbert was discharged from the AIF on the 13th of December 1919.

Norbert and Lillian moved to Peterborough and then in November 1920 they were transferred to Quorn.

In July 1921 a farewell social was held for them by the Pichi Richi Lodge in Mr Hutt’s bandroom as Norbert had been transferred to Terowie.

In May 1922 Norbert had his thumb crushed when while passing over the couplings of two cattle trucks, he slipped just as the engine had eased up and his thumb was crushed between the buffers.

Norbert and Lillian never had children and Lillian died in the Adelaide Hospital on the 4th of June 1925 and Norbert buried her in the West Terrace Cemetery.

Norbert then married Mabel Rosa Kathleen GRAHAM on the 20th of February 1928 in the Sacred Heart Church, Military Road, Semaphore, SA.

Mabel was the daughter of Vincent GRAHAM & Ellen Janet GAFFNEY and was born on the 20th of May 1903 in Adelaide.

They welcomed their first child; Bernard William, on the 16th of January 1929 in the Great Northern Soldiers Memorial Hospital, in Hawker.

Norbert was a member of the Hawker RSL Sub-Branch

They then moved to 13 George Street, Queanbeyan NSW and welcomed Colin Vincent into the family on the 24th of July 1932, followed by Brian Robert on the 25th of January 1934.

Their last child; Kevin Geoffrey was born in 1935.

By the following year they had moved to 61 Station Street, Guildford and Norbert was employed by the Defence Department as a clerk.

In the early morning of Sunday the 12th of March 1938 Norbert’s body was found near Railway Street, Fairfield. A bicycle, which police surmise he was riding, was found nearby. The Liverpool Ambulance took his body to the Liverpool Hospital Morgue. The far-western wireless patrol, which had charge of Investigations, was satisfied that no suspicious circumstances were connected with Norbert’s death.

He was buried 3 days later, on the 15th, in the Catholic Grounds of the Liverpool General Cemetery.

Mabel died on the 2nd of September 1982 in NSW.

Military

At the age of 21, Norbert enlisted into the AIF on the 1st of November 1915 in Adelaide and was allotted the service number 3943 and was posted to E Company, 2nd Depot at Exhibition Camp (Jubilee Oval).

He listed his father of Georgetown, as his next of kin.

On the 16th of November he was transferred to the Engineers at Mitcham Camp and he then attended Signalling School on the 1st of December, for 2 weeks.

On the 16th of January he was transferred to the 27th Battalion, 9th Reinforcements.

Norbert embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A28 Miltiades on the 7th of February 1916, disembarking in Alexandria on the 11th of March.

Norbert was transferred to the 2nd Divisional Cyclist Company and proceeded to France on the 22nd of March. They disembarked in Marseilles on the 30th and marched to Santi Rest Camp and then entrained to Berguette the following day, arriving on the 4th of April.

The 2nd Divisional Cyclist Company was used as despatch riders and conducting reconnaissance and patrolling.

They then moved onto Croix-du-Bac and whilst here Norbert was admitted into 2nd Australian Divisional Rest Station suffering from a Venereal disease.

He was then transferred and admitted into the 8th Casualty Clearing Station in Bailleul on the 28th of May.

After 4 weeks here he was transferred to the 26th General Hospital in Etaples on the 29th of May and the following day he was transferred to the 9th Stationary Hospital in Le Havre, which became known as the 39th General Hospital.

On the 30th of June he was transferred to the 18th General Hospital in Camiers for 3 days before being discharged to details at No.10 Camp.

On the 24th of August he was transferred to the 27th Battalion who were in the trenches at La Boiselle.

On the 27th of August they took over the front line from the 19th Battalion under cold and wet conditions and the trenches were knee-deep in mud.

All ranks worked hard to improve the condition of the trenches, but consistent rain made the task a heart-breaking job.

On September 1st they had a burst of sunshine, and it heralded the appearance of the 1st Battalion of Canadians, who took over the line from them and when the relief had been completed they marched back very slowly to Albert, with a large percentage of cramped and frozen feet.

Fairly comfortable billets were allotted in Albert and after a restful night and decent hot meals they were ready for the march back to Warloy.

On September 3rd they moved on to Harponville and while there were paraded for General Birdwood, who made a presentation of medals.

Three days later they moved on to Steenvoorde and settled down to regular training with special attention being given to tactical exercises in defence and assault.

In addition, special efforts were made to organize battalion sports and teams were selected to try conclusions with other units. Of the many branches of sport which claimed attention, none could command more interest and attention than good old Australian football, and the 27th had many a tussle with their good friends of the 28th Battalion. In the keenness of the contests players and onlookers alike forgot for the moment the solemn and serious side of the soldier’s life, while they cheered and encouraged their side to victory.

On the night of October 5th they moved out and entrained for Ypres and relieved the 19th Battalion in the sector near Zillebeke, which covered the trench system of Hill 60 and Mount Sorrell.

During their time here they found things reasonably quiet, due doubtless to the winter conditions, which were now becoming more severe. But they worked hard in the repair and reconstruction of the trenches before being relieved and returning to Ypres.

We were then entrained to a point near the Ypres - Poperinghe Road and marched to St. Lawrence Camp, where we occupied wooden huts until the 19th of October. They left here under wintry conditions for Steenvoorde and then onto Yaucourt-Bussus.

On the 27th they left at dawn in the cold and wet for their billets at Dernancourt and a week later they marched to Montauban Camp, which was situated in a mud-hole.

They then moved forward to Switch Trench, near High Wood and then moved forward and relieved the 53rd Battalion in the front line. The trenches here were in a deplorable condition, the sides falling in from time to time and the earth was churned up practicality knee deep.

Here they suffered high casualties and after being relieved they marched back to Montauban Camp.

A medical inspection revealed the fact that 90 per cent, of the men were suffering from cramp and trench feet, with the worst cases being evacuated to hospital.

After a week here they carrying out fatigue work near Longueval until the 15th of November and after being issued with gum-boots and woolen clothing, they marched to Longueval, resting in the vicinity of Carlton Camp.

The long march of over seven miles to Fricourt Camp, through showers of rain and slush, was rewarded as at Fricourt Camp they were greeted with hot meals and blankets were issued to them as they arrived.

From here they moved onto Buire and the whole area was frozen, so the Battalion spent most of their spare tome trying to skate.

By December they had moved back to Fricourt Camp and on Christmas Day 1916, the Battalion carried out fatigue duties in the forward areas. Their Christmas dinner consisted of tea, which was “straight” bully, and biscuits.

They then spent January and February in and out of the front line trenches here before moving to Warlencourt to do exactly the same.

By March they were in the Vaulx-Vraucourt sector and this month was an unlucky month for the Battalion. There was a considerable depletion in strength of personnel, the month’s casualties being 45 killed, 170 wounded, and 95 sick to hospital.

By the 11th of April the strength of the Battalion was increased by the arrival of 140 reinforcements and details and they were ordered to the Hindenburg Line, near Bullecourt.

On the 28th quite a stir was caused in the trenches by the voting in connection with the Australian general elections.

By the morning of the 5th of May the relief of the 5th Brigade by the 3rd Brigade, released the 28th Battalion from the line, thus leaving the 27th Battalion as the only representative of the 7th Brigade in the divisional front line.

They had now been in the front line for 18 days and on this very same day Norbert suffered a Gun Shot Wound to his left leg & right buttock and was admitted into the 5th Australian Field Ambulance.

The following day he was transferred to the 3rd Casualty Clearing Station and then transferred by Ambulance Train to the 2nd Canadian General in Le Treport.

On the 13th of May he was evacuated from Calais to England and admitted into the 3rd London General Hospital and then on the 21st he was transferred to the Rochester Row Military Hospital suffering from a Venereal disease.

After 3 days here he was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford and then discharged to No.2 Command Depot in Weymouth Depot on the 26th.

Norbert was then transferred to Signal Detail in Clifton where he spent Christmas Day 1917.

On the 24th of April he proceeded to France and was posted to the Australian Corps Signal Company on the 15th of May, with their Headquarters being in Villers-Bocage.

On the 21st of February 1919 he was transferred to the Australian Army Pay Corps in Boulogne and promoted to Corporal.

He remained here until the 7th of July when he was posted to the England Pay Office.

Norbert embarked for Australia on board HT Anchises, on the 22nd of August 1919, disembarking in Adelaide on the 5th of October.

Norbert was discharged from the AIF on the 13th of December 1919.