Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Booknot long before they began to pick our boys off. Major Norsworthy was hit in the neck by a bullet, but it did not stop him from walking up and down our line, encouraging our men to hold fast. It was not until he received the second bullet that he had to give in and lie down. We bound him up as well as we could, but the second wound was serious, and he died about three-quarters of an hour after." Another private who was with Major Norsworthy said: "As we advanced out of our dug-outs and trenches--that were being enfiladed--we met a perfect storm of shell and rifle bullets, when some inclinations of hesitancy and flinching were shown. Seeing this, Major Norsworthy sprang to the front and called out, 'Come on, men, remember that we are Canadians and all the eyes of Canada are upon us.' His action and words steadied those that were wavering, and we all followed him with a wild cheer, and advanced to the Ypres-Poelcapelle Road ditches--facing the advancing Germans--which gave us some little protection, and we stuck it there to the last man." The following are extracts spoken to the first Canadian Division after the twelve days and nights of fighting included in the period from 22 of April to the 4th of May, 1915; "I tell you truly that my heart is so full I hardly know how to speak to you. It is full of sorrow for the loss of those comrades of ours who have gone, and pride in what the first Canadian Division has done. I think it is possible that you do not all of you quite realise that if we had retired in the evening of 22 April, when our Allies fell back before the gas and left our left flank quite open, the whole of the 27th and 28th Division would probably have been cut off. This is what our Commander-in-Chief meant when he telegraphed as he did: 'The Canadians saved the situation.' My lads, if ever men have had a right to be praised in this work, you have." Major Norsworthy was mentioned in F.M. Sir John (now Lord) French's Despatch of 31 May, 1915, for gallant and distinguished service in the field. [Illustration: =Edward C. Norsworthy.=] =NORTH, ARTHUR=, Sergt., No. G. 582, 9th (Service) Battn. East Kent Regt.; died in Dover Military Hospital, 4 June, 1915; _m._ =NORTH, FREDERICK ALBERT=, Sergt., No. 8010, 2nd Battn. East Surrey Regt.; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders; died 3 April, 1915, of wounds received in action; _m._ =NORTH, CHARLES NAPIER=, Major, 5th Field Coy. Royal Engineers, eldest _s._ of the late Col. Roger North, R.A., by his wife Fanny Ellen (Briarwood, Camberley), dau. of Stephen Beeching, of Tunbridge Wells; _b._ Bristol, 16 Aug. 1874; educ. Radley College, where he gained the Heathcote Mathematical Scholarship, and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich; gazetted 2nd Lieut. R.E. 10 Feb. 1893, and promoted Lieut. 10 Feb. 1896, Capt. 1 April, 1904, and Major, 25 July, 1913; served (1) in the South African War, 1899-1902, took part in the operations in the Orange Free State, March to May 1900, in the Transvaal, east of Pretoria, Aug. to Nov. 1900, in the Orange River Colony, May to June 1900, in Cape Colony, south of Orange River, 1899-1900, and in the Transvaal, Orange River Colony and Cape Colony, 1901-2; and was afterwards on the Staff, and from 20 May, 1902 to 7 Aug. 1902, was employed under the Dir. Mil. Intelligence (Queen's medal with three clasps and the King's medal with two clasps); and (2) with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders, 15 Aug. to 1 Nov. 1914, on which latter date he was killed in action near Zonnebeke, during the First Battle of Ypres, being shot by a sniper while engaged in inspecting the erection of barbed wire entanglements in an exposed position. Buried in Zonnebeke Wood, N.E. of Ypres. The General Officer Commanding, Royal Engineers, 2nd Division, wrote: "Major North's death was a severe loss not only to his own company, but to the Royal Engineers and the service generally, as on several occasions his devotion to duty and his excellent work had come under my observation, and I have no doubt his example conduced largely to the fine performance of the 5th Field Coy." Major North was mentioned in Sir John (now Lord) French's Despatch of 14 Jan. 1915. He _m._ at St. Mary Abbott's Church, Kensington, 18 Dec. 1913, Norah, dau. of the late Col. Gribbon, of Inverness Terrace, W., and had a dau. Elizabeth, _b._ posthumous, 31 March, 1915. [Illustration: =Charles Napier North.=] =NORTH, WILLIAM THOMAS=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., B. 2721), 286931, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =NORTHCOTT, ALBERT HENRY=, Shipwright, No. Chat. 345561, Royal Navy, _s._ of Lieut. Albert Northcott, R.N., by his wife, Mary Elizabeth Swete (4, Springfield Terrace, Elburton Cross, near Plymouth), dau. of Samuel Tolcher; _b._ Plymouth, co. Devon, 6 April, 1887; educ. Ryders High School, Stoke Devonport; was for some time a Shipwright Apprentice in Devonport Dockyard; joined the Navy in 1907; served on H.M. ships Cyclops, London, and Cressy; took part in the Battle of Heligoland, and was lost when the Cressy was torpedoed in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914; _unm._ [Illustration: =Albert H. Northcott.=] =NORTHEY, ALFRED=, Lieut., 4th, attd. 3rd, Battn. Worcestershire Regt., yr. _s._ of the late Rev. Alfred Edward Northey, formerly Vicar of Rickmansworth, co. Hertford, by his wife, Alice (Lisworney, Torquay), dau. of Frederick Hatton, and grandson of Lieut.-Col. William Brook Northey, of The Mount, Sevenoaks, Coldstream Guards, J.P., D.L.; _b._ at The Vicarage, Rickmansworth, 10 Sept. 1886; educ. at Rottingdean, Sherborne School, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst; gazetted 2nd Lieut. to the 4th Worcesters 3 Feb. 1906, and promoted Lieut. 24 Oct. 1908; joined his battn. at Malta, where he was stationed until Nov. 1908, when it proceeded to Bareilly, India. Returning from India on sick leave in Feb. 1911, he was sent to the Depôt at Worcester, and was there when war broke out. He acted as Machine-Gun Officer at Tregantle, Cornwall, until 30 Aug. 1914, when he left for France in charge of a draft, and, after being stationed for three weeks at St. Nazaire, joined the 3rd Worcesters (7th Brigade, 3rd Division) at the Front. He was killed in action, 12 Oct. following, close to Richebourg St. Vaast, while the battn. was fighting its way through Richebourg to Neuve Chapelle. He was _unm._ His Commanding Officer wrote: "He was killed whilst leading his men in the attack. He was killed instantly, and did not suffer. He was a splendid officer, and can ill be spared. I hope it may be some little comfort to you, that he died leading his men in the most gallant manner." He was mentioned in Sir John (now Lord) French's Despatch of 14 Jan. [London Gazette, 17 Feb., 1915.] Lieut. Northey was an excellent musician, playing both piano and violin; a good all-round sportsman, and very popular with both officers and men. [Illustration: =Alfred Northey.=] =NORTON, WILLIAM GEORGE=, Private, No. 358 |