Boy Bugler 2071 William Norris
2nd (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Guernsey Light Infantry

William Norris was born in Edinburgh on 1^st August 1903 at Piershill, Edinburgh, Scotland. Having emigrated as far in Great Britain as one reasonably could, to Guernsey, he took up residence with his family and by 1917 he was living at 2, Livingston Villas, Stanley Road. St. Peter Port, Guernsey9. He enlisted with permission from his family, and on presentation of a birth certificate at the age of 14 years and 3 months, into the 2^nd (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Guernsey Light Infantry, His enlistment came with restrictions as a special enlistment of boys between the age of 14 – 18 years of age. 

His WW1 career was reasonably uneventful as so far as it can get for a Boy Bugler during the Great War. However after spending his teenage years in the service of a British Light Infantry regiment he was to find the pull of the military once again after being de-mobilised on 14^th December 1919, with 2 years and 33 days service.

On 25^th May 1922 he re-enlisted into the RAF for the career abroad, something lacking as a Boy Bugler in the R.G.L.I. with Special Enlistment conditions. He was now nearly 19 years of age.

Life was going to present new horizons. Appointed as Driver with rank of A.C.2 and a new service number 351799 he was going abroad on service for the first time to foreign lands.

Starting at Depot SQN, Uxbridge to RAF MANSTON with training. During 1922  From there he travelled abroad first to the land of the Pharaoh's – EGYPT on 29^th May 1923! Stationed with EGYPT HQ RAF at and to TURKEY at Constantinople,  A posting to 208 SQN RAF Followed on 3^rd October 1925, IRAQ, transferred once again quickly, to the famous No. 6 SQN RAF at MOSEL by 19^th October 1925.

After two years it was back to England  at RAF FARNBOROUGH and onto the Reserve by 24^th May 1930. 

With the outbreak Of WW2 William Norris was called back to service with the RAF, and into the thick of it with a posting to 70 Wing (B.C.), onto 70 Wing HQ Continental Contingent . In the Field from 1st October 1939 as Corporal Driver for the Group Captain Commanding R.A.F. Gatwick 

The 70 Sqn in the field re-formed back at Gatwick after a hasty retreat from France and Dunkirk, that lasted a fortnight, now back at Gatwick as Corporal Driver for the Group Captain Commanding R.A.F. Gatwick he was given special permission to go on leave to Guernsey to evacuate his family as fast as possible. He arrived in Guernsey on 27^th June 1940 and immediately set to evacuate his wife and two children. It is not yet know if he achieved the evacuation of his family, what is certain is that he was to be less fortunate himself, having to remain on the Island. He was immediately taken prisoner of war by the Germans and was confirmed being marched to Fort George under enemy escort. 

Having married Mrs J.M. Robins of Kingstone, Les Varendes, Catel, Guernsey, keeping his roots in the island was foremost to his mind. His own family consisted of a wife and two children - William James born 23/11/1936 and Eileen Patricia born 2/01/1939

His luck had finally run out! Now despatched to a Prisoner of War Camp in a temporary Camp (Front Stalag) with other Army Prisoners, moved up the system to the rear.

He was to spend the war with POW Number 7398 at Stalag Luft 6 Camp No. L6 located at HEYDEKRUG, LITHUANIA (then East Prussia) with RAF Officers and other men. He was probably present during the evacuation of L6 Now known as the 'Long March'

The forced marches began in July 1944, at Stalag Luft VI at Heydekrug, when thousands of western Allied POWs were marched either to Stalag Luft IV at Gross Tychow (a journey which also involved a 60-hour journey by ship to Swinemunde), or to Stalag XX-A at Thorn in Poland (with part of the distance covered by cattle train).

Reported On P.4. Casualty List 412.

He was to finally be reported SAFE UK on 27^th JUNE 1945, exactly 5 years in captivity to the day. He would have been awarded the1939-45 STAR and 1939-45 War Medal for his services in the early part of  WW2. Medals during WW2 had to be claimed and were not automatically issued, after this ordeal I wonder if he ever claimed them. I hope he got to his family finally.

© 2017 Mark Bourgourd