DUCKMANTON, Norton Atton
| Service Numbers: | 6243, 6243A |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 February 1916, Adelaide South Australia Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 27th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | North Adelaide, South Australia, 6 October 1895 |
| Home Town: | St Peters (SA), Norwood Payneham St Peters, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Goodwood Rose Park and Parkside Public Schools, South Australia; Goodwood Public School, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Attack On Malt Trench, Warlencourt-Eaucourt Nord-Pas-de-Calais France, 2 March 1917, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
Warlencourt British Cemetery SP memorial No 6. |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Arthurton WW1 Honour Roll, Arthurton WW1 Honour Roll Plaque, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Price and District Roll of Honour, Rose Park Public School WW1 Honour Board, St Peters Heroes War Memorial, Unley Arch of Remembrance, Unley Town Hall WW1 Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 28 Jan 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 6243, 27th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Adelaide South Australia Australia | |
| 28 Aug 1916: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Private, 6243, 10th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, embarkation_roll: roll_number: 10 embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Anchises embarkation_ship_number: A68 public_note: |
|
| 28 Aug 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 6243, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
| 1 Jan 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 6243, 27th Infantry Battalion, The Outpost Villages - German Withdrawal to Hindenburg Line | |
| 2 Mar 1917: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Private, 6243A, 27th Infantry Battalion, The Outpost Villages - German Withdrawal to Hindenburg Line, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 6243A awm_unit: 27 Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-03-02
Killed in Action |
|
| Date unknown: | Involvement 27th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Mankirat Singh
Norton Atton DUCKMANTON was a private in World War 1; his regiment number was 6243.
Born on 6th of October 1895 in Eighth Avenue, St Peters, North Adelaide, South Australia, Norton became a farmer before he enlisted in military activity. He was a Methodist. The schools he known to have attended were Goodwood Rose Park and Parkside Public Schools.
In his previous military service (before World War 1) he served in the School Cadets in which he was a Sergeant.
Norton’s father’s name was Horatio Atton Duckmanton who had also served in the military, and his mother’s name was Juliet Blanche DUCKMANTON. He also had a brother named Landseer Samuel DUCKMANTON who was in the 43rd Battalion (55823). He returned to Australia on 5th of September 1919.
Norton enlisted in World War 1 on 28th of January 1916 as a ‘private’ in the ranking system. The unit was the ‘10th Battalion, 20th Reinforcement’ and it embarked from Adelaide, South Australia on board the ‘HMAT A68 Anchises’ on 28th of August 1916.
On 17th of December 1916, Norton was transferred from the 10th Battalion due to some casualties, then taken on strength by 27th Battalion on 1st January 1917.
The 27th Battalion attack on the German's Mault Trench near the Butte du Warlencourt failed because it had a higher terrain, therefore more cover and an advantage for the Germans. On 2nd of March 1917, the 17th Battalion of the 5th Brigade tried to take over the Germans. The 27th Battalion counterattacked the Germans with an extremely organised plan to take over, which turned out to be successful. Even though the counterattack was successful, 22 troops were killed while 95 left wounded.
Unfortunately, Norton Atton Duckmanton was among the brave soldiers who were killed in this action. He died on 2nd of March 1917 in France. Norton Atton Duckmanton is one of the few soldiers whose remains are known to be interred in the cemetery.
Duckmanton’s family were given his hard-earned medals after the war which included the Memorial Plaque 313858, the British War Medal 46055, and the Victory Medal 45526. Those brave soldiers fought with their mind set on their goal, they did a great deed for our country and will be remembered.
Biography
Surname: DUCKMANTON; Given Names: Norton Atton; Date of Birth: 6 October 1895; Date of Enlistment: 1 February 1916; Trade or Calling: Farmer; Birth Location: North Adelaide ; Address prior to enlistment: Eighth Ave St Peters; Photograph sent by: Mr H Duckmanton
Source: State Records SA
Service Record
16 May 1916 Norton was admitted to the infectious diseases unit North Adelaide - acute CS Meningitis
28 August 1916 he was re-assigned to another reinforcement draft and embarked on the HMAT Anchises
12 November 1916, he disembarked in England and was assigned to 3rd Training Battalion Persham Downs
17th December 1916 Norton was transferred from the 10th Battalion to 27th Battalion, probably as part of replacing casualties sustained at Flers. Taken on strength by 27th Battalion 1January 1917.
Norton joined the Battalion at the end of the dreadful winter the Australian Divisions had endured in and around Guedecourt.
In February 1917 the Germans took the Allies by surprise by withdrawing from their front line to consolidate along the much stronger and straighter / shorter front along the Hindenberg Line. The 27th Battalion for its part, followed the retreating Germans as they went.
As part of their retreat German forces had left behind fortified towns and isolated fortified positions to slow down the Allied advance. The 27th Battalion was responsible for attacking one of these isolated fortified positions near Warlencourt. As a result on the night 2/3 March 1917 the 27th Battalion attacked the German Mault Trench near the Butte du Warlencourt, a terrain feature that gave significant advantage in terms of observation.
AWM - 27th battalion war diary out lines the course of events leading up to a major attack on 2 March. It is paraphrased here:
The 27th Battalion went into the line near Warlencourt on 27 February 1917, relieving the 24th Battalion (Victoria) as part of the follow up of the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line.
Its major operation there took place on 2 March which consisted of an attack towards a German defensive position (Malt Trench) and an attempt to link up with the 17th Battalion of the 5th Brigade on their right flankThe assault was flanked and 'turned' by the Germans but a 27th Bn counterattack was organised and executed successfully by Captain Devonshire and led by Lieutenant Davies securing the Grevilliers line of some 500m of trench. The sum total of casualties was significant:
3 officers, Lieutenants Botten, Lewis and Caldwell were KIA and Captain Joyce MC severely wounded. 22 OR were killed and 95 wounded.
The Battalion war diary reports 60 enemy killed and 29 PoW taken.
Norton Duckmanton was among those killed in this action
Norton Duckmanton is one of some 55 soldiers whose remains are believed to be interred in the cemetery but not explicitly identified. There are other 27th Battalion personnel killed on or about the same day / time who are similarly recognised on Special Memorials. A number are listed below:
4139 Hardy W.H.
2421 Routley A.H. Corporal
4221 Tasker T.A.C. PTE
5611 Lyons P. PTE
Norton Duckmantons’s family were issued with his medals after the war.
Memorial Plaque 313858
British War Medal 46055
Victory Medal 45526
Steve Larkins March 2014
Click images to start slideshow.