S12941
LAMPE, Norman Elliott
| Service Numbers: | 123, S53546 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 20 July 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Signalman |
| Last Unit: | 32nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Oakbank, SA, 9 October 1893 |
| Home Town: | Nuriootpa, Barossa, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Public School, Magill, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Telegraphist |
| Died: | Unknown, Gosnells, WA, 1 February 1961, aged 67 years |
| Cemetery: |
Karrakatta Cemetery & Crematorium, Western Australia Crematorium Rose Gardens-Garden S-0034 |
| Memorials: | Adelaide Officers of S.A. Post, Telegraph and Telephone Department Great War Roll of Honor, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Oakbank Old Scholars Roll of Honor, Woodside District of Onkaparinga Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 20 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 123, 32nd Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Nov 1915: | Embarked Private, 123, 32nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Geelong, Adelaide | |
| 18 Nov 1915: | Involvement Private, 123, 32nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Geelong embarkation_ship_number: A2 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Jul 1916: | Imprisoned Reported missing but, was found to be a prisoner of war. He was transferred to 3 Prisoner of War Camps until he was repatriated and sent back to England. | |
| 26 May 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, 123, Repatriated prisoner of war returned from England to Australia. |
World War 2 Service
| 27 May 1942: | Involvement Signalman, S53546 | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 May 1942: | Enlisted Nuriootpa, SA | |
| 27 May 1942: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, S53546 |
World War 1 Service
| Date unknown: | Wounded 123, 32nd Infantry Battalion |
|---|
Norman Elliott Lampe
Name: Norman Elliott Lampe
Service Number: 123
Place of Birth: Balhannah
Date of Birth: 9 October 1893
Place of Enlistment: Keswick
Date of Enlistment: 12 July 1915
Age at Enlistment: 21 years 8 months
Next of Kin: Sister, Frances Lampe
Occupation: Telegraphist
Religion: Church of England
Rank: Private
Norman left Australia on HMAT Geelong on 18 November 1915 and joined the British Expeditionary Force in Alexandria on 17 June before going to France with the 32nd Battalion on 23 June. He was initially presumed missing after the attack south of Armentieres on 19 July, but it was later confirmed that he had been wounded in the left leg and abdomen and taken prisoner of war. Norman was interned at Wahn, Westliche Ettappe, Germany. After the war he was repatriated to England on 12 January 1919. His sister Frances received a telegram on 24 January stating: “Lampe arrived England 12th Jan. Writing,”
Having been a prisoner of war in Germany for over 2 years, Norman was granted leave but was docked 4 days’ pay on this occasion for being absent without leave. He returned to Australia on the Medic on 26 May and was discharged on 19 July.
Submitted 25 October 2023 by christopher collins
Biography contributed by St Ignatius' College
Norman Elliott Lampe was a South Australian soldier who fought in the 32nd Infantry Battalion, during World War One. Lampe should be commended for his courage and bravery as an Australian Soldier displaying the ANZAC spirit.
He was born on the 9th of October 1893, in Balhannah, South Australia. His Mother, Maria Jane Lugg, was 41 years of age, and his father, Francis Lampe was 42. He was the youngest of ten siblings; 6 sisters and 4 brothers. He grew up in Balhannah, in the Adelaide hills, and went to Magill Public School where he then worked as a telegraphist prior to enlisting in 1915. At enlistment, he was noted as 21 8/12 years old, Natural Born British Subject, unmarried, affiliated with The Church of England, and had blue eyes, light brown hair, and a tanned complexion. He was listed as 5”10 in height and weighed 189 lbs (86 Kg).
On the 20th of July 1915, he joined the “A” Company of the 32nd Infantry Battalion as a Private. The 32nd Battalion was raised within the 8th Brigade at Mitcham until they embarked on board the HMAT A2 Geelong on the 18th of November 1915, joining the 5th Australian Division in training in Egypt. They then proceeded to France intended for the Western Font. On the 19th of July 1916, the 32nd Battalion fought its first significant battle at Fromelles. The battle was disastrous, losing close to 90% of its strength. Many soldiers were found to either be wounded, missing, or dead. Lampe was assumed to be dead due to the mass influx of people to account for after the battle. However, further research revealed that he was wounded to the thigh and stomach. He was further located as a Prisoner of War. During World War One Germany captured around 2.4 million soldiers, with at least 7 million prisoners taken by the Triple Alliance. These prisoners were sent to labour camps that the Germans established along the Western Front and in occupied, Belgium, France, and Russian territory. The conditions were poor with unsanitary work conditions, food shortages, and mistreatment. However, Germany would take any injured or sick soldiers to a hospital before sending them to a war camp. This occurred for Lampe when he was captured taken to hospital, and then later transferred to the Prisoner of War (POW) camp in St Clotilde, Douai, France (occupied land by Germany).
During his time in the War camp, he was allowed communication with his next of kin, his sister, Miss Francis Lampe. Depending on the POW camp and country this would differ. However, in Lampe’s circumstance letters were the only communication allowed. This allowed the soldiers to help ease the pain of separation for loved ones. Following Lampe’s letters there was a lot of miscommunication between the two siblings. Often regarding missing letters or letters sent to the wrong address. This eventuated frequently with soldiers in POW camps due to letters being censored, tampered with, and lost. Following his stay and miscommunications in St Clotilde camp he was relocated to the POW camp in Stendal, Germany. On the 7th of October 1916, he was again transferred to another POW camp in Quedlinburg, Germany where he spent the next three years. Little information is known about his time during the POW camp, but this camp was known for its hard physical labour in salt mines nearby and for the little food provided by Germany with the Red Cross having to provide food parcels to keep them going.
However, after the war ended, on the 12th of January 1919, Lampe was repatriated from the War camp arriving at Ripon in North Yorkshire, England. On the 27th of March 1919 he committed a crime and forfeited his pay and lost yet another eight days of pay on the 1st of April 1919. On the 10th of April 1919, he was repatriated back to Australia, disembarking on the 26th of May 1919. For his time spent during the war, he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal.
After the First World War, Lampe met Ella Johanna Matilda Budarick, marrying her on the 18th of August 1920 in Mannum, South Australia. They went on to have one daughter Velma Lampe in 1921. Decades later on the 1st of February 1961 aged 67 years old Lampe passed away and was buried at Karrakatta, Nedlands City, Western Australia.
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