5043293 L/Sig. William Norman Royal Navy HMS Nigeria from:Kings Lynn, Norfolk My sisters, Margaret and Elizabeth and I spent our childhoods during
World War 2 in a small village in the hills behind Perth and the port
of Fremantle in Western Australia.
My cousin Edna, and mother Ethleen billeted crew members from British
ships when they called at Fremantle.
Among the ships that called were HMS Kenya - and, memorably, HMS
Nigeria.
I was 9 years of age, Maggie was 7 and Liz was 4.
Commander Oliver was first billeted with us in our big airy house on
the hills above Darlington. We have fond memories of him - my sisters
remember seating this senior serviceman on the floor of their playroom
and dressing him in their play-clothes!
Then came Bill.
We have never forgotten him. He became an embedded part of our
memories of our childhood. We were deeply fond of 'our sailor Bill'
Nigeria was in port for 3 weeks I think and Bill stayed for about a
week.
Mum and Dad served him breakfast in bed. We roamed our orchard picking
fruit from the trees. We went for long walks in the hills - I remember
taking him on one of my 'secret' tracks to see what I regarded as my
own discovery of a glade of rare spider orchids.
We knew that he enjoyed the dances held in the tiny local hall when
all his shipmates from the billets in the districts had a chance to
meeti some of the local girls - and, I imagine a doughty cohort of
watchful local matrons as well!. The Japanese war was threatening Australia at the time - Darwin had
already been bombed among some 15 air raids in the north-west - but
our childhood focus was very much on England, and Bill in his smart
uniform represented everything heroic we imagined of the Empire,
though I am sure he would not have regarded himself as a hero.
Many years later I realized he was only 18 at the time - a boy
himself, swept up into the maw of that dreadful war.
In a letter to my Mother (Ethleen) and Father (Ted), after leaving
Fremantle, he called us 'my three children'.
I am now 74 and If Bill is alive he would now be about 83 years of age.
We only know he came from Kings Lynn in Norfolk.
This request is inspired by the fact that 60 years on, my great niece
and god-daughter is in a primary school in rural Oxfordshire and I
have been asked to provide a few memories of a childhood in Australia
during WWII.
I would be a wonderful convergence of time and fate if someone among
your membership remembered 'our Bill' and could direct us to him or
his descendants.
Whatever happens - or doesn't happen as a result of this request,
please accept it as a modest but heartfelt tribute to a fine young man
and to his years of service for his country.
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