HUMPHREY, Norman Washington
| Service Number: | 3980 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 28 August 1915, Claremont, Tasmania |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 12th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | South Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, 23 May 1895 |
| Home Town: | Hobart, Tasmania |
| Schooling: | St Lukes, Tasmania, Australia |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Gun shot wounds to left leg & gas gangrene, 1st Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, 27 August 1916, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
Cambridge City Cemetery, United Kingdom Row C, Grave 3477 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Hobart All Saints Church Honour Roll, Hobart Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 28 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3980, 12th Infantry Battalion, Claremont, Tasmania | |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Nov 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3980, 12th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: RMS Orontes embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 24 Nov 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3980, 12th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Orontes, Melbourne 12th reinforcements | |
| 22 Aug 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 3980, 12th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , Gun shot wound to left leg | |
| 27 Aug 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3980, 12th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Elizabeth Allen
Norman Washington HUMPHREY was born in Hobart, Tasmania on 23rd May, 1895
His parents were William John HUMPHREY and Ellen Margaret CARTER who married on 11th February, 1893 in Hobart
He had previously served in the Machine Gun Section of the 93rd Infantry before he enlisted in Claremont, Tasmania on 28th August, 1915 and embarked with the 12th Infantry Battalion, 12th Reinforcements on the ship HMAT Orontes from Melbourne on the 24th November, 1915
He was wounded at Pozieres on 22nd August, 1916 with a gun shot wound to his left leg and taken to the 1st Eastern General Hospital in England where he died from his wounds on 27th August, 1916 - he is buried in the Cambridge City Cemetery in Cambridgeshire in England, Row C, grave no. 3477
Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal & Victory Medal
His name is memorialised on the Australian War Memorial
REST IN PEACE
Biography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Norman Washington Humphrey was born at South Hobart, Tasmania on 23rd May, 1895 to parents William John & Ellen Margaret Humphrey (nee Carter).
William John Humphrey, father of Norman Washington Humphrey, died in 1898 in Hobart, Tasmania.
Ellen Margaret Humphrey, widowed mother of Norman Washington Humphrey, married Alfred Chaffey on 19th October, 1912, in All Saints Church, Hobart, Tasmania.
On 24th August, 1915 Norman Washington Humphrey enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) as a 20 year old, single, Labourer.
Private Norman Washington Humphrey, Srevice number 3980, embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on RMS Orontes on 24th November, 1915 with the 12th Infantry Battalion, 12th Reinforcements.
He was taken on strength of 12th Battalion at Serapeum on 17th March. 1916.
On 29th March, 1916 Private Humphrey proceeded to join B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force) from Alexandria on Corsican. He disembarked at Marseilles, France on 4th April, 1916.
Private Norman Washington Humphrey was wounded in action in France between 19th & 22nd August, 1916. He was admitted to 44th Casualty Clearing Station on 22nd August, 1916 with shrapnel wounds to leg then transferred to No. 29 Ambulance Train. Private Humphrey was admitted to 26th General Hospital at Etaples, France on 23rd August, 1916. He was marked for transfer to England on 24th August, 1916 & embarked for England from Calais, France on 25th August, 1916 on Hospital Ship Brighton.
On 25th August, 1916 Private Humphrey was admitted to General Hospital at Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England with gunshot wounds to leg – serious. He was reported to be dangerously ill on 26th August, 1916.
Private Norman Washington Humphrey died on 27th August, 1916 at 1st Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England.
A Post Mortem was held by Captain W. Malden, Pathologist, on 28th August, 1916. “Well nourished muscular man. Left leg amputated just above knee. Wound looks healthy. Thorax – Subentaneous (?) emphisima particularly right side. Lungs – right many small collections of gas in vessels. Much adhesive pleurisy, some septic pneumonia. Left – same. Condition not so marked. Heart – endocardium right side much stained. Staining extended up pulmon. arteries into lungs. Left side – normal. Abdomen – Liver full of small gas tuttles. Kidneys – vessels injected septic nigzhitis (?). Other organs normal.” Cause of death from wounds received in action in France – gunshot wound to left leg & gas gangrene.
He was buried in Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England.
In April, 1920, Mrs E. M. Chaffey, of 410 Macquarie Street, Hobart, Tasmania, mother of the late Private Norman Washington Humphrey, was advised by Base Records that the remains of her late son had been exhumed from former site & re-interred in Grave No. 3477 Section “C”, Cambridge Cemetery, Cambridge, England. “This work is carried out with every measure of care and reverence in the presence of a Chaplain.”
Private Norman Washington Humphrey has a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/city.html
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