Norman Francis Taylor
Memorial: Thornbury - St Mary's Church
Regiment: Merchant Navy
Medals: 1939–45 Star, War Medal 1939–1945
Rank and number: Assistant Storekeeper
Parents: Harold Franics and Clara Taylor
Home address: Church Road, Thornbury, Bristol
Date of birth: 1920
Date of death: 24/02/1941
Buried/Commemorated at: Died at sea and commemorated at Liverpool Naval Memorial and Thornbury Grammar School and Thornbury Church Memorials
Age: 20
Further information:
Norman was the son of a butcher. He had a younger sister Muriel and attended Thornbury Grammar School. He had apparently called into the school to say goodbye before joining his ship.
Norman had served barely three months in the Navy before being killed on board HMS Manistee. At 21.00 hours on 23 Feb 1941, the Manistee, which was an armed ocean boarding vessel, left the convoy that she had been escorting and at 22.42 hours, South of Iceland was fired upon by U-boat 107 and hit in the engine room by one of two torpedoes. Minutes later she was also attacked by the Italian submarine Bianchi who then left to attack the rest of the convoy. U-107 fired three further torpedoes that missed and followed this by a long chase of the zigzagging ship. The following morning, at 07.58 hours, the U-boat fired two further torpedoes and one hit the stern, finally causing the ship to sink. 18 officers and 122 ratings, including Norman, were lost and there were no survivors.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
This information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/
Thornbury Roots http://www.thornburyroots.co.uk/high-street/32-high-street/#johntaylor
https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/775.html