William Norris
Memorial: Thornbury & District Museum: 6th Maritime Regiment Memorial
Regiment: 6th Maritime Regiment
Medals: 1939–45 Star, War Medal 1939–1945
Rank and number: Gunner
Parents: Elizabeth Norris
Home address: Renfrewshire
Date of birth: 1918
Place of birth: Renfrewshire
Date of death: 26/11/1942
Buried/Commemorated at: Died at sea and commemorated on Chatham Naval Memorial and the Maritime Memorial Thornbury
Age: 24
Further information:
William was born and raised in Renfrewshire. He enlisted in the Royal Scots Dragoons later volunteering for the Maritime Regiment.
On the day of his death William was serving aboard the British Steam Merchant 'Ocean Crusader' a straggler from convoy HX-216, owing to bad weather, and was on route from New York to Avonmouth, the ship carrying 8891 tons of general cargo. At 16.57 hours on 26 November 1942 the unescorted vessel who was on her maiden voyage, was hit in dense fog by 2 torpedoes from U-boat U-262 about 330 miles northeast of St. John’s Newfoundland and sank by the bows. The master, 44 crew members and five gunners including William were lost. There were no survivors. Originally reported as missing which was changed to presumed killed in action 16 months later.
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/
https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/2469.html