Charles Norris


Harry Norris is an 88 year old veteran of the Suez Crisis in 1956, a subject that I hope to return to in a later article. If you or any of your family were involved in this short lived conflict please drop me a line.



I asked Harry if he had an ancestor, Charles Norris buried at St. Peter’s Church, Cockett. Charles had been a casualty of the First World War; I showed Harry a photograph of the headstone, (pic below left) which I had taken some time back. Harry said that it was his uncle but that they were yet to find the grave. Harry also told me that Charles Norris’s name is also inscribed on the War Memorial, Mumbles Road.



Charles was born circa 1893, in Buenos Ayres, Argentina, while his father, William Norris, was working the Copper Trade Route from South America to Swansea. Four of the Norris children were born in Argentina. The family emigrated to the UK, on board the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, Clyde, a wooden, paddle pro-pulsion ship. Departing from Ensenada, Mexico and arriving at Southampton on 1 July 1901, the sea voyage having taken several weeks to complete.



At the time of the 1911 Census the family are now living at Lynn Street, Cwmbwrla, Swansea, and Charles is a General Labourer working within the Fuel Works. What is interesting is that the children who were born in



Argentina are listed as “Naturalised British Subject”. Following the British Nationality Act, 1772 children were classed as British subjects as was their father, though on the census, the Norris children’s year of naturalisation is missing.



In 1912, Charles emigrated to Adelaide, Australia, where he was employed as an Fireman. The First World War broke out in August 1914, and Australia as part of the British Empire was automatically involved. On 16 January 1915, Charles joined up to serve with the 12th Infantry, 5th Reinforcements, Australian Imperial Force.

He listed his place of birth as Swansea on his Attestation Papers!

He saw action at Gallipoli, and later Charles was stationed at Westham Camp, Weymouth, where he was involved in a motor car accident, receiving a fractured skull and other injuries. After the accident Charles was taken to Sidney Hall Military Hospital[2], Weymouth (pic above right), but sadly he died on 4 May 1916. He was finally brought home to Swansea, where he was buried at St. Peters Church, Cockett (pic above right). Charles is also commemorated on the Australian War Memorial, in Canberra.


Charles Norris’ name was added to the panels of the Swansea Cenotaph, on Mumbles Road along with the other nine Swansea men who fought with the Australian Imperial Forces. Sadly Norris was added as Morris. You would think that a simple spelling error could be rectified but this has not been the case.



I have made enquiries to Coflein (online database for the National Monuments Record for Wales (NMRW)) and CWGC(Commonwealth War Grave Commission) to see if they could help but they don’t have responsibility for the care and maintenance of the memorial. The CWGC advised me to call the War Memorial Trust which is a registered charity, with the purpose of protection and conservation of war memorials in the UK. Apparently this isn’t an unusual enquiry. July 1923, saw the passing of the Act, of War Memorials (Local Authorities’ Power) Act, 1923, this Act, allowed “(‘local authorities’) under certain circumstance to maintain, repair and protect war memorials within their council boundaries” – but not to alter text.

The Act was amended after the Second World War, allowing local authorities to add further names of those killed during that conflict.



 Copyright – The Bay Magazine – August/September 2018

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