Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Name: Norman Albert Ruth
Service Number: 9564
Place of Birth: Mount Torrens
Date of Birth: 6 November 1894
Place of Enlistment: Adelaide
Date of Enlistment: 3 November 1915
Age at Enlistment: 20 years 11 months
Next of Kin: Father,Thomas Ruth
Occupation: Labourer
Religion: Church of England
Rank: Private
Norman joined the 10th Battalion as a gunner and left Melbourne on 20 June 1916, disembarking at Plymouth, England on 18 July, later proceeding to France on 29 February 1917. He was gassed in Belgium on 2 January 1918 and received treatment in the field, then at Outcran and Boulogne before rejoining his unit in Belgium. Norman returned to Australia on the Napier in June 1919 and was discharged on 13 August.
Marg Wills lived with her grand parents until she got married and has extensive and vivid memories of Norman’s life post-war as he was prepared to tell her of some of his experiences. Norm thought the war was going to be a big adventure that would be over in a couple of months. He stated that some recruits were returned to Australia after being ill on board ships taking them to England. Norm was at the Somme during and after battle and was amazed at the rich blood-red colour of the poppies that emerged after battle. He was convinced their rich colour was due to the rivers of blood shed during the Battle of the Somme.
Norm told Marg the night prior to the cessation of hostilities, 10 November 1918, he and a few comrades were sent out at night to lay communication wires near the enemy’s lines. When they returned in the early hours of the morning they were absolutely exhausted and fell asleep. The group awoke to find to their horror German troops walking through the Australian lines. They initially assumed they had been overrun during the night and were greatly relieved to hear that they had slept through the surrender.
Marg still has a German map of their lines that Norm brought home as a souvenir. He sent several postcards home, one in particular, dated 15 August 1918, was sent from Belgium while he was recovering from being gassed. Norm recalled that when he was on a train to England for treatment after the gassing, he had his great coat stolen. Due to his loss of voice from the gas attack he was unable to speak and get the thief apprehended.
The gas attack caused Norm to suffer badly from ulcers after the war. Upon returning home he worked for the S.A. Railways for many years and later took up one of the 80 acre Soldier Settlement Scheme plots of land at Birdwood. Norm worked hard clearing the land and running Murray Grey cattle. Marg and her husband built their home on this land and carried on running cattle.
In 1968 Norm had a bad fall dislodging a retina which left him blind for the last 20 years of his life. In addition, his hearing was impaired due to war wounds. When Norm died he was buried in the Catholic section of the Birdwood Cemetery.