Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Norman was the older of two sons born to Sydney Ernest and Zillah Florence (Babe) Crocker on the 7th October 1913. Frank Herman was born in April 1915. They had three sisters, Florence, Gwen and Mary.
Norm was 18 and Frank had just turned 17 when their 52-year-old mother died in May ’32. Frank found work as a labourer and Norm worked for the South Australian Gas Company as a Maintenance Officer. He travelled to work on a black and gold trimmed motor bike of which he was particularly proud. It was therefore extremely frustrating for him to have the bike stolen from a lane to the side of the Gas Company on the afternoon of June ’37.
With the outbreak of WWII, 25-year-old Frank enlisted on the 5th June ’40 as SX4456 and served in the 2/27th Battalion in the Middle East and New Guinea. 26-year-old Norman enlisted the following month, on the 12th July 1940 in Adelaide. He was placed in the newly formed 2/48th Battalion with the number SX8655. His early training was at Wayville, then at Woodside in the Adelaide Hills. Annoyingly, he attracted a fine of 10/- with 10/- costs for breaching by-laws in North Adelaide while on pre-embarkation leave. To add to that fine, was a further loss of pay when Norm and fellow enlistee, Private Alastair Sanders, SX7464, a trainee from Woodside were caught ‘catching up’ and making a false declaration at the Hotel Adelaide on October 18. Each was fined £3 with 10/ costs for having obtained liquor during prohibited hours (10:15pm). Both defendants were also fined £6 with 10/ costs for having made false declarations that they were bona-fide travellers. It was not quite the celebration they had planned.
Both young soldiers boarded the Stratheden in November, arriving in the Middle East on December 17th. Initial training was at Dimra with Norm soon being graded as a Group II Signaller by February. Within two months Norm’s battalion faced what would become the extended strategic battle of Tobruk. He was also to become one of the highly regarded Rats of Tobruk. The term was originally designed to destroy the morale of the troops and encourage them to surrender. It had the opposite effect with the men seizing the unofficial title as a badge of honour.
Norm developed ulcerated legs, a painful condition which in the war environment were prone to infection as well as being debilitating with reduced movement and swelling. His diagnosis in August, ’42 was, not unexpectedly, that he was fit only for sedentary duties. The following month Norm’s overall health continued to deteriorate with chronic asthma, bronchitis and cystitis. By December, he returned to Australia via Freemantle. Doug’s service was then changed to an office setting in Records at the commencement of ’43.
The bond between those in the 2/48th was particularly strong. Fellow Rat, SX7613 Corporal Jack Champion of Murray Bridge married Myrtle Jarrett on the 6th March ‘43 at Bordertown. Jack chose Norm as his best man and fellow 2/48th SX12819 Geoff Lancett as his groomsman. (Privates Jack Curtis SX8281, Jack Champion and Cpl. Roy Darley SX6305 featured in what was to become an iconic photo of Jack cheekily carrying his pet dog, Toby, ‘Wog Dog’ in his backpack aboard HMS Kingston. The dog somehow remained undetected, leaving Tobruk for Alexandria in Egypt and arriving in Australia. Sadly, Jack Curtis later died of wounds in Egypt on the 23rd September 1942.)
Inevitably, Norm was discharged early on the 29th March ’43. He gained work as a Meter Reader but found his ‘Entertainment skills’ brought back from the war were hard to shake. Aged 30 he faced charges of unlawful betting in a Glenelg billiard room when he took a 4/- each way bet on a horse called ‘Bold Scot’ from a fellow soldier. Unfortunately, the bet was overheard by two constables. Despite Norm’s representative sharing that Norm had served overseas in the A.I.F. he was fined £5 with £1/8/6 costs in the Adelaide Police Court.
Norman’s brother, Frank served out the last days of the war and was discharged on the 10th October ’45. Their father, Sydney lived to see both sons return home safely before his death in January ‘49. Today, both brothers are honoured in the Glenelg Town Hall Memorial Book.
Aged 60, Norm died on the 23rd June ’74. Five years later his wife, Gwen died on the 23rd March 1979. Both now rest in the North Brighton Cemetery in Section E Row 8 East. They were survived by their son, Bryon.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee daughter of Bryan Holmes, SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.