For a long time, the period of the war was longer than the next fifty years – it was the intensity of it. A day there was like a year anywhere else, because the chances of living were small. I have a greater chance of living a week at the age of 92 than I did when I was 19. I don’t think people appreciated what had happened. The men who died are soon forgotten by those who were not there, but they are never forgotten by those of us who still remember.
I went to have a look at Meikle’s gravestone and was surprised to see an entry in the cemetery book of a lady who said she’d come to see Meikle, the father she never knew. I have a lovely picture and there I am, standing looking down; and Sergeant Meikle is young bones, of course, still young bones, and there I am, nearly a hundred, standing on top -very old brittle bones with plenty of pain in them, but who won in the end? I mean, who had the better life? Nobody knows. Meikle died. Anyway he won’t know, he had no memory and eventually I will go the same way.
I’ve been asked on several occasions in my life if I killed anyone and I refuse to answer. I’m not going to say that I killed anyone in my life, but if anybody thinks that I managed to get through that war without killing anyone, then I would like them to explain how. Your imagination can tell you a lot from what I’ve said and that is sufficient. But I’m not going to be drawn into how many I killed or didn’t kill. I can tell you this: I was not, and never claimed to be, a brave soldier. All I did was what I considered I had to do, and that was my duty. Why did I join up? I joined up, as you call it, along patriotic lines, and I said I joined up to defend this country. There were certain things I had to do, otherwise I’d have been useless, wouldn’t I?
Norman at the grave of Sergeant Meikle VC, MM.
I am very much living in the present. I very rarely dwell in the past; in fact this is quite a unique experience and I would never have come back here unless my son had asked me to. I don’t live in the past at all. I haven’t forgotten it, because one can’t forget, one doesn’t want to forget. I mean, those two graves I saw of Smith and Mclean, the two lieutenants in my battalion, I’ve never forgotten them, but I don’t dwell on that sort of thing. I enjoy my present life and I hope to continue a little longer, and I hope to see you in eight years time if I may.’
‘When you are 100?’
‘When I am 100.’
Editor: Within weeks of returning home from France Norman was moved to write the following poem dated 5 June 1989.
OVER THE TOP
‘Twas just three minutes to zero time,
Everyone held his breath.
For in three minutes we all would go,
To Victory – or Death.
The mine went up with a thundering roar,
Then out the barrage crashed,
And the Heavens were lit with the fires of Hell,
As the storm the trenches thrashed.
Then out we raced with muffled cheers,
Into the mouth of Hell!
While machine guns took their dreadful toll,
And many a comrade fell.
We fought like devils that misty morn,
With bayonet, bomb and gun.
And right through steel and fire we charged.
The Bosche front line was won.
The wire and snipers held us up,
For perhaps an hour or more,
But again and again with glittering steel,
We charged with a sullen roar.
Our losses were heavy – ‘tis always so.
But the foe was badly shaken.
Once again the Highlanders charged,
And lo – the village was taken.
And battle was over, the victory won,
And the sinking sun shone red
On the land we’d wrested from the Hun;
On the heaps of silent dead.
We called the roll at dead of night,
Under the star shells weird glare,
But many a comrade answered not,
For he’d answered the Roll up there.
Just a few square miles of country won.
And many a soldier fell,
But they died, with a smile, for their motherland,
For they’d done their duty well.
They’ve left their mark (a small one, true),
On the history of our land.
Gentlemen! A silent toast,
To that gallant little band.
Editor: After his father’s death in 1998, Ian Collins returned to the Somme and the Newfoundland Park. He found that the descendants of the Newfoundlanders Norman had buried in 1916 had visited the park. There, at the memorial built to honour the 51st Division’s successful assault on Beaumont Hamel, three wreaths had been laid to Norman’s memory.
LIST OF FALLEN
The following is a list of officers and other ranks killed in the Great War and who are mentioned in this book. All were known to Norman; six of them have no known grave.
Lieutenant Philip Hugh Ballantyne, 4th Seaforth Highlanders, died Monday 28th October 1918 aged 27. Son of James and Mary Annie Ballantyne of New Hill, Huddersfield. Vis-En-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, Panel 10.
Captain Colin Mackenzie Cameron, Adjt 4th Seaforth Highlanders, died on Thursday 11 April 1918 aged 23. Son of Colin Mackenzie Cameron and Adelaide Scott Cameron of Balnakyle, Ross-shire. Maroc British Cemetery, Nord, France I.L.46.
2/Lt Alexander James Davidson, 4th Seaforth Highlanders, died on Sunday 8 April 1917 aged 30. Son of Alexander and Mary Davidson of Dingwall. Highland Cemetery, Roclincourt, Pas de Calais, France II.D.3.
Captain Aubrey Malcolm Cecil Finch, 4th Seaforth Highlanders, died Monday 7 July 1919 aged 22. Son of William and Rona Finch of Beckenham, Kent. Archangel Allied Cemetery, Russian Federation Sp. Mem. B40.
Pte Lawrence Grigor 2779, 6th Seaforth Highlanders, KIA 13 November 1916, son of Mr J and Mrs Grigor of Haighland, Elgin, Mailly Wood Cemetery 1 E 9.
Lieutenant James Angus Henderson, 7th Bn attd 1/8th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, died Monday 25 March 1918 aged 27. Son of David and Isabella Henderson of Thurso, Caithness. Pozieres Memorial, Somme, Panel 77 & 78.
Private Arthur Gordon Henry 3596, B Company 6th Seaforth Highlanders, died of wounds 15 November 1916 aged 18. Son of George and Mrs Henry of 655 Hawthorn Street, Springburn, Glasgow. Thiepval Memorial Pier and Face 15C.
Lieutenant George Munro MacBey MC, 6th Seaforth Highlanders, died Friday 22 March 1918 aged 20. Son of William Monro MacBey and Catherine MacBey of Tarbert, Lossiemouth, Morayshire. Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, Bay 8.
Private William McKenzie, KIA Monday 13 November 1916, son of George and Mrs Mckenzie of Easterton Cottage, Westerton, Speymouth, Fochabers, Morayshire. Mailly Wood Cemetery I G 5.
2/Lt Raymond Alastair Mclean, attached 6th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders, KIA 13/11/16 aged 23. Son of William and Mary Mclean of 82 Beconsfield Villas, Brighton. Native of Ross-shire.
Vans Dunlop scholar, University of Edinburgh MA with triple honours.
Divinity student. Mailly Wood Cemetery I F 30.
Sergeant John Meikle VC MM, 200854 4th Seaforth Highlanders. KIA Saturday 20 July 1918 aged 19. Marfaux British Cemetery, Marne Plot 8 Row C Grave 1 On the 20 July 1918 near Marfaux, France, Sergeant John Meikle ‘showed most conspicuous bravery and initiative. No.2 Company were held up by machine-gun fire, when Sergeant Meikle, advancing for some 150 yards, alone, over open ground, rushed one of the machine-gun nests single-handed, emptying his revolver into the crews of the two guns, and putting the remainder of them out of action with a heavy stick. Then standing up, he waved the company on. When, later in the day, another hostile machine gun checked the progress of the company, Meikle found that most of his platoon had become casualties. Undismayed, he seized the rifle and bayonet of a fallen comrade and again rushed forward against the gun crew. He was killed when almost in the gun position, but his bravery enabled two other men who followed him to put the gun out of action.’
Captain George James Morrison MC, 1/6th
Seaforth Highlanders, died on Thursday 11 April 1918 aged 25, son of John and Margaret Morrison, of Brodie, Forres. Lapugnoy Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais VII.C.5.
2/Lt Henry Edward Otto Murray Murray-Dixon, 1/4th Seaforth Highlanders, died Tuesday 10 April 1917 aged 31 of wounds received at Vimy Ridge. Son of James Murray and Etheldreda Murray-Dixon of Swithland Rectory, Loughborough. Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais VI.A.7.
2/Lt Hugh Francis Pitcairn, 47th Division Supply Column Mechanical Transport Army Service Corps, killed Sunday 3rd June 1917 aged 37, son of John George and Augusta Frances Pitcairn of Lee, London. Aubigny Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais VI.G. 15.
Lt George Robson, KIA Thursday 20 September 1917 aged 35. Son of George and Hannah Robson of Wellington Terrace, South Shields. Tyne Cot Memorial, Addenda Panel.
L/C p1 Alexander Simpson 265772, KIA Wednesday 19 September 1917 aged 18, son of Alexander and Mrs Simpson of Beaufont Home Farm, Beauly, Inverness-shire. Tyne Cot Panel 132-65 and 162A.
2/Lt Robert James Smith, KIA 13.9.1916, son of John and Mary Smith of East Mains, Knockando, Morayshire, land valuer (Inland Revenue), Mailley Wood Cemetery IF 29.
Private John Thomas Weatherhead 48457, D Coy 4th North Staffordshire Regiment, died Friday 30 November 1917, son of John and Elizabeth Ann Weatherhead of 84 Northgate, Hartlepool. Mendingham Military Cemetery, Poperinge 1.G.40.
Postscript
After the war, Norman served with the 4th Rajputs Indian Army on the North West Frontier in the Waziristan campaign of 1920/21. In May 1921, he rose to the rank of Captain, before being invalided out and returning to the UK. In 1921, he began reading Engineering at Armstrong College, Durham University, from where he later took an apprenticeship with the Austin Motor Company, Long bridge. He stayed with Austin Motors for the next 13 years, being responsible for the operation of a string of service depots. At the outbreak of war in 1939, he became Chief Technical Assistant to the Director of Mechanisation (later called the Ministry of Supply, then the Ministry of Defence). Here he oversaw the requisitioning of car workshops across the country to repair battle-damaged vehicles. (Unbeknown to Norman, this was a dangerous post. It was only in the late 1980s that he discovered, quite by chance, that his name appeared on an SS hit list – along with Winston Churchill’s. Given an identification number by the Germans, Norman was due for immediate execution had the Germans successfully invaded Britain in 1940.) Norman stayed in the post, rising to Deputy Director before being released in 1944 to join F Perkins Ltd. Perkins was famous for its diesel engine manufacturing, and during Norman’s tenure it was to become the largest of its kind in the world. While there, he released a young office boy, Godfrey Evans, to go for trials with Kent Cricket Club. Later, as perhaps England’s most famous wicket keeper, Evans presented Norman with the gloves he used to keep wicket with during England’s test tour of Australia in 1953. Until his retirement in 1961, Norman held the post of Deputy Managing Director. He devoted his long retirement to shooting and fishing, until bad eyesight forced him to give up at the age of 86. He was very keen on wildlife and helped to found the Wildfowl Trust, with Sir Peter Scott. In 1989, on his return to the battlefields, he was granted the Freedom of the City of Albert, the principal town held by the British during the Battle of the Somme. ‘It was this honour,’ as The Times obituary noted, that ‘he cherished above all others’.
Norman when an officer with the 4th Rajputs. The heat of India was to prove too much for his wounds, forcing him to return to England, where he was invalided out of the army.
Norman receives a cup from the Queen Mother in the 1950s.
Last Man Standing Page 17
