SIDNEY SAUNDERS NORTON
Photographs courtesy of Obi Norton.
Sidney is not remembered on the war memorial at Christchurch Park.
Born: 8th March 1912, at 4, Trafalgar Back Street, Norwich, Norfolk.
Died: 17th June 1944; age: 32; KiA at Parc de Bois Londe.
Residence: 27, Cecil Road, Ipswich.
Rank: Sergeant; Service Number: 407545.
Regiment: 24th Lancers, Royal Armoured Corps.
The body was originally buried in a field at Chouain. On the 15th February 1945, the body was exhumed, identified and reburied at Bayeux War Cemetery.
Grave Reference:
XIV.K.24.
Calvados,
France.
Relatives Notified & Address: Son of Charles & Vestal Norton, of Eagle Street, Norwich, Norfolk; husband of Ivy Elizabeth Norton, of Ipswich.
Father: Charles Henry Norton, born September 1884, Norwich, Norfolk. A General Labourer. During the Second World War, Charles was an Air Raid Precautions Warden.
Mother: Vestal Norton (nee Saunders), born October 1884, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.
CENSUS
1921 4, Trafalgar Back Street, Norwich, Norfolk.
Sidney was 9 years & 3 months old. He attended School and lived with his parents, siblings and stepbrother.
Charles Norton, 36 years & 6 months old, a Boot and Shoemaker for H.B.F. Winterbone, of St. Stephens Street, Norwich.
Vestal Norton, 36 years & 7 months old, Home Duties.
Charles Henry Norton, 17 years & 6 months old, a Boot and Shoe – Hand Trimmer for Albert Shingler & Thetford Ltd., of St. Stephens Street, Norwich, born Norwich.
Harry Henry Saunders Norton, 13 years & 1 month old, at School, born Norwich.
George Saunders Norton, 10 years & 10 months old, at School, born Norwich.
Vestal Saunders Norton, 7 years old, at School, born Norwich.
Lily Norton, 4 years & 2 months old, born Norwich.
Irene Norton, 18 months old, born Norwich.
In 1942, at St. Nicholas’ Church, Ipswich, Sidney married Ivy Elizabeth Plant, born 1922, Ipswich – daughter of William Alexander Plant, a factory stoker, and Elizabeth Hilda Plant (nee Mallitt), of 27, Cecil Road, Ipswich.
Ivy and Sidney had one son.
A family note: At the outbreak of WW2, he was already a serving soldier based in India but was brought back to the UK in 1939, where he met my nana and eventually married her in 1942. On his service records, his address is given as Cecil Road, Ipswich.
Sidney Norton
Was born on 8th March 1912 at Trafalgar Back Street, Norwich (Now demolished)
He was the Second youngest of four Siblings.
He lived all his childhood in Norwich
And after leaving school, he worked as a shoemaker in one of Norwich’s shoe & boot factories.
At the age of 22, he joined the Army
His First Regiment was the 2nd Dragoons (aka Queens Bays).
Serving with the 2nd Dragoons for approximately two years before being transferred to the 17/21st Lancers.
Most of his time was spent serving in the 17/21L he was posted in Meerut, India.
Sidney was very interested in sports of all kinds and was a member of the Regiment’s Football team, Boxing team and Athletics Team
He was also an accomplished horse rider.
With the outbreak of WW2, the 17th/21st Lancers were brought back to England, where they served based at Colchester as the South East anti-Invasion force.
But in 1940, Sidney was transferred to a new war-raised cavalry Regiment, the 24th Lancers.
However, whilst in Colchester, Sidney met his wife-to-be Ivy Plant, who lived in Ipswich.
In May 1942, Sidney married Ivy at St Nicholas Church, Ipswich.
And lived with Ivy at 27 Cecil Road, Ipswich.
At the beginning of the war, Sidney was promoted from Sergeant and trained to be a tank commander whilst also being a regimental physical training instructor.
On D-day, 6th June
Sidney landed with his Sherman tank (called Black Prince), part of B squadron, fourth troop, 24th Lancers, in the late evening because of congestion on Gold Beach; they were not able to land earlier.
From a post-war account of Sidney’s radio operator
Over the next 11 days, his regiment saw action around Crepon, Bazenville, Cristot and Tilly-sur-Seulles. To name but a few.
It was whilst attacking a small wooded park called Le Parc De Boislonde, just one mile north of Fontenay le Pesnel, at approximately 5 pm, that Sidney’s tank was hit by a high explosive round.
This disabled his tank, so all the crew had to bail out.
Because of sitting on top of the tank in the commander’s place, Sidney was wounded by the initial blast, and after getting out of the tank, he didn’t immediately get off the back of his tank.
It was then that a second shell hit his tank, which killed Sgt Sidney Norton.
Sidney Norton now rests in the Bayeux War Cemetery, Normandy.
Obi
24th Lancers, Royal Armoured Corps.
Ipswich veteran: Mr Reginald Snowling a brave Ipswich resident who served during WW2 with the 24th Lancers and received the Legion d’honneur medal this month, Reg landed in France on D-Day day one, serving as a gunner on the third tank on the beach under heavy fire became bogged down in the sand, the first and second tank being knocked out Reg continued to fire. Under air attack, Reg recalls jumping out of the tank, taking cover on the opposite side of the tank, and moving from one side to the other. Once off the beach, his tank was engaged in the attack on the heavily fortified towns and villages of Normandy, confronted with the legendary German Tiger tank. Reg was wounded and continued to fight in Belgium and the Netherlands. Reg also holds a record for knocking out two German tanks with one shell. Reg first landed in France with a Sherman tank, then moved onto the lightweight Comet tank.
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