Henry Norwest
Encyclopedia
Henry Norwest MM & Bar
(May 1, 1884, in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta
– August 18, 1918, at Fouquescourt
, Somme
, France
) was a distinguished Canadian
sniper
in World War I
.
performer, he served for a short time with the Royal Northwest Mounted Police until September 1915 when he joined the Canadian army. In his nearly three years of service with the 50th Canadian Infantry Battalion
, the lance-corporal achieved a documented sniping
record of 115 fatal shots. While Norwest was an outstanding marksman, the thing that set him apart from others was his superb stealth tactics and his expertise in the use of camouflage
. As a result of his exceptional abilities his superiors frequently sent him on reconnaissance
missions into "No Man's Land" or behind enemy lines.
In 1917, Norwest earned the Military Medal
during the Battle of Vimy Ridge
and the following year he was awarded the bar to his Military Medal. Only three months before the war ended, Norwest was on a mission to find a German
sniper's lair when he was killed by the enemy sniper.
His Ross Rifle
is currently on display at The Military Museum in Calgary
. The rifle which he carried on August 18 was a replacement which was taken by the German sniper as a trophy.
/French
origins from the Hobbema reserve in Alberta
. Married and the father of three children, he is buried in the Warvillers Churchyard Extension Cemetery, Warvillers
, Somme
, France
.
Military Medal
The Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
(May 1, 1884, in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta
Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta
Fort Saskatchewan is a city in Alberta, Canada, located northeast of downtown Edmonton, Alberta's capital city, along the North Saskatchewan River. Fort Saskatchewan is part of the Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area and is one of 24 municipalities on the Capital Region Board...
– August 18, 1918, at Fouquescourt
Fouquescourt
Fouquescourt is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Fouquescourt is situated southeast of Amiens on the D161 road.-Population:-External links:*...
, Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) was a distinguished Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Military career
A former ranch-hand and rodeoRodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
performer, he served for a short time with the Royal Northwest Mounted Police until September 1915 when he joined the Canadian army. In his nearly three years of service with the 50th Canadian Infantry Battalion
50th Battalion, CEF
The 50th Canadian Battalion was a battalion of the First World War Canadian Expeditionary Force. The battalion was commanded by Colonel E.G. Mason at the beginning of the war. Later in the war, he was put with another battalion and Lieutenant-Colonel Page took over the battalion. The battalion...
, the lance-corporal achieved a documented sniping
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
record of 115 fatal shots. While Norwest was an outstanding marksman, the thing that set him apart from others was his superb stealth tactics and his expertise in the use of camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
. As a result of his exceptional abilities his superiors frequently sent him on reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
missions into "No Man's Land" or behind enemy lines.
In 1917, Norwest earned the Military Medal
Military Medal
The Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
during the Battle of Vimy Ridge
Battle of Vimy Ridge
The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a military engagement fought primarily as part of the Battle of Arras, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the Canadian Corps, of four divisions, against three divisions of the German Sixth Army...
and the following year he was awarded the bar to his Military Medal. Only three months before the war ended, Norwest was on a mission to find a German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
sniper's lair when he was killed by the enemy sniper.
His Ross Rifle
Ross rifle
The Ross rifle was a straight-pull bolt-action 0.303 inch calibre rifle produced in Canada from 1903 until the middle of the First World War....
is currently on display at The Military Museum in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
. The rifle which he carried on August 18 was a replacement which was taken by the German sniper as a trophy.
Personal life
Nicknamed Ducky, Henry Norwest was Métis of CreeCree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
/French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
origins from the Hobbema reserve in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. Married and the father of three children, he is buried in the Warvillers Churchyard Extension Cemetery, Warvillers
Warvillers
Warvillers is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Population:-External links:*...
, Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.