Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Norman was the son of William Nicholas THOMAS & Margaret Jane HICKS and was born on the 11th of November 1870 in Kadina, SA.

His parents were married on the 4th of October 1856 in the Parish Church, Redruth, Cornwall, England.

His father was the son of William Nicholas THOMAS & Christiana Catherine WILLIAMS and was born on the 31st of January 1833 in Ludgvan, Cornwall, England.
His mother was the daughter of John Prideaux HICKS & Ann MARTIN and was born on the 3rd of April 1831 in Redruth, Cornwall, England.

Norman was the ninth child born into the family of 14 children.

His parents and eldest brother had arrived in Victoria in 1858 and by April 1859 the family were living at Peg Leg Gully, Bendigo and his father was a miner.
They family had then moved to Pennyweight Gully and Paddy’s Gully, Bendigo and at Cross Roads, Moonta Mines by 1865.

After his schooling Norman gained employment as a miner and by 1883 the family moved to Broken Hill.

Norman married Rosina Grace TITCOMBE on the 8th of August 1891 in Railway Town, Broken Hill, NSW.
Rosina was the daughter of William Lysander TITCOMBE & Mary Ann PEDLER and was born on the 2nd of February 1872 in Moonta, SA.

They made their home on a 1 acre block in Pell Street, Railway Town and their little home comprised of 2 rooms.

They welcomed their first child; Edna Rosina in Broken Hill in 1892, but sadly she died as an infant in 1893.
Rosina Doris Blanche was then born on 1894, followed by Stella Ruby in 1896.

In October 1896 they sold their home and most of their house hold furniture and moved to Boulder, Western Australia, where Norman’s parents had moved to.

Ivey May was then born into the family in 1898 in Boulder and then Lillian Grace the following year.
Sadly little Lillian died just 3 months later in 1900 and they then moved to Moonta Mines where Arnold Stanley Norman was born on the 8th of August 1900.
By 1905 Rosina had moved back to Broken Hill and applied for a divorce in November 1905 on the grounds that Norman had deserted her and the children and he was an alcoholic.
She gained a decree nisi in June 1907 and it was made absolute in March 1908.

By 1914 Norman was living at East Chapman via Geraldton, WA and was a miner.

At the age of 45, Norman enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 12th of June 1915 in Geraldton, WA and posted to the 15th Depot Company.
Norman reduced his age on enlistment by 9 years and claimed he was 36 years old.

He was then transferred to the 16th Battalion, 10th Reinforcement on the 16th of July.
On the 8th of September he was found drunk in camp and fined 10/- and the following day he went AWOL for 3 hours and was forfeited 14 days pay.
Then on the 13th of September he was AWOL from parade and was arrested, drunk, at the Darling Range Hotel. The following day he was discharged from the AIF.

Just 3 months later, at the age of 45, Norman re enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 15th of December 1915 in Boulder, WA and allotted the service number 6486 and posted to the 39th Depot Company. He was then posted to the 4th Field Company Engineers, 4th Reinforcements.

Norman embarked from Unit embarked from Sydney on board HMAT A67 Orsova on the 11th of March 1916, disembarking in Alexandria on the 14th of April.
He served in France and suffered from Bronchitis. He then embarked from England on board HT Miltiadeson the 4th of May 1917, disembarking in Fremantle on the 24th of June.

Norman was discharged, medically unfit, from the AIF on the 10th of July 1917 and moved to 43 Queen Street, Brown Hill, Boulder, WA.
He was granted a pension of 30/- per fortnight for 6 months and after this ceased he gained employment as a Locomotive Engine Cleaner.

In August 1920 he was charged with unlawfully obtaining a chestnut gelding, Norman pleaded not guilty but was fined.
In 1921 he was living at 16 Lode Street, Trafalgar and was a miner and by 1925 he had moved to 14 Broad Arrow Road, Kalgoorlie and was living with his brother Matthias.

By 1927 Norman had moved to Clare, SA where he was arrested on a few occasions for being drunk and was fined.

Norman died on the 18th of March 1928 on Yankaninna Station.
He was buried in a Lone Grave in the “Inverness Paddock”.

Yankaninna Station is located about 80 kilometres north east of Copley via Umberatana Road, near Mt Searle.

By satellite there are ruins at Mandarin Bore in the Inverness Paddock, it is possible that Norman is buried here.

Military

At the age of 45, Norman enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 12th of June 1915 in Geralton, WA and posted to the 15th Depot Company.
Norman reduced his age on enlistment by 9 years and claimed he was 36 years old.
He listed his mother, Mrs Margaret Jane THOMAS, of Brown Hill, Kalgoorlie, WA, as his next of kin.

He was then transferred to the 16th Battalion, 10th Reinforcement on the 16th of July.
On the 8th of September he was found drunk in camp and fined 10/- and the following day he went AWOL for 3 hours and was forfeited 14 days pay.
Then on the 13th of September he was AWOL from parade and was arrested, drunk, at the Darling Range Hotel.
The following day he was discharged from the AIF.

At the age of 45, Norman re enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 15th of December 1915 in Boulder, WA and allotted the service number 6486 and posted to the 39th Depot Company.
This time he reduced his age by 5 years on enlistment and claimed to be 40 years old.
He listed his mother, Mrs Margaret Jane THOMAS, of 145 Queen Street, Brown Hill, Kalgoorlie, WA, as his next of kin.

On the 6th of January 1916 he was posted to the 4th Field Company Engineers, 4th Reinforcements.

Norman embarked from Unit embarked from Sydney on board HMAT A67 Orsova on the 11th of March 1916, disembarking in Alexandria on the 14th of April.
He then joined the miscellaneous reinforcements in Tel-el-Kebir Camp and on the 7th of June he embarked for Marseilles, disembarking on the 15th.

Norman was then posted to the 4th Division Engineers Headquarters and on the 29th of September he was found drunk in Etaples and awarded to 25 days Field Punishment No.1 and then taken on strength with the General Base Depot in Etaples.
On the 26th of November Norman was admitted into the 26th General Hospital in Etaples suffering from Bronchitis.

He was then embarked from Le Havre for England on the 8th of December and admitted into the Horton War Hospital in Epson.
On the 20th of December he was discharged to No.1 Command Depot in Perham Downs where he spent Christmas 1916.
He was then granted 2 weeks furlo and reported to No.4 Command Depot in Wareham on the 12th of January 1917.
Norman spent 3 months here before being transferred to No. 2 Command Depot in Weymouth awaiting his return to Australia.

Norman embarked from England on board HT Miltiadeson the 4th of May 1917, disembarking in Fremantle on the 24th of June.

He was then admitted into the 8th Australian General Hospital in Fremantle for 1 day before being transferred to D Camp.

Norman was discharged, medically unfit, from the AIF on the 10th of July 1917 and awarded the British War and Victory Medals.

He was granted a pension of 30/- per fortnight for 6 months