Norman Williams
Encyclopedia
Norman Francis Williams CGM
DFM
& Bar
(3 November 1914 – 30 June 2007) served as an air gunner
in RAAF bomber
s in the Second World War, becoming its most highly decorated non-commissioned officer
. A rear gunner in a Halifax bomber
, he was credited with shooting down 8 German
aircraft and damaging several others, making him the RAAF's only "ace
" who was not a fighter
pilot.
, the eldest child of Elsie Mary Gibbs and William Francis Williams. He was educated on the family farm until the family moved to Leeton, New South Wales
, where his father ran a garage. He attended St Joseph's Convent School and then the Catholic College run by the Marist Brothers
in Sale, Victoria
. He left school aged 16, and worked in Leeton.
, and transferred to Royal Australian Air Force
in May 1941. He became the top student in his air gunnery course, and left for England
on the troopship
SS Strathallan in March 1942. He became the rear gunner in the Halifax bomber piloted by Des Smith in No. 10 Squadron RAF
in August 1942. He completed a tour of 30 missions, winning two Distinguished Flying Medal
s, and then volunteered with his crewmates to become a Pathfinder
with No. 35 Squadron RAF, flying ahead of the main force to mark targets.
His aircraft was severely damaged on a raid over Düsseldorf
in March 1943, with his turret's rotation mechanism rendered inoperable and a wing on fire. While the crew prepared to bail out, the pilot heard Williams calling him to turn starboard, allowing his machine guns to bear on a closing German nightfighter, which blew up. The bomber dropped its bomb load, but was attacked by a second German fighter. With bullet wounds in his stomach and legs, Williams legs were paralysed, but he managed to shoot down the second fighter. The Halifax limped back to England, where it crash-landed. Williams was cut out of his turret, and spent several months in the hospital recuperating from his injuries. He was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
. He later said that he had been told he would have received the Victoria Cross
if he had died.
He returned to Australia in April 1944, and was posted as a tutor at the air gunnery school in Cressy, Victoria
. He refused to go, requesting an active posting instead. He became a belly gunner in an RAAF B-24 Liberator
bomber in No. 23 Squadron RAAF
, based in the Northern Territory
and on Morotai
.
in Japan
after the war ended, as part of the occupying forces. By then a Flight Lieutenant
, he was demobilised in May 1948. He returned to Australia, taking up a soldier's settlement block near Wakool, New South Wales
on the Murray River
, developing a rice farm which doubled as a nature reserve. He opposed a plan in the 1950s to drain Christies Creek, which ran through his farm, because it would adversely affect local wildlife.
He returned to the RAAF in 1952 with a short-service commission, serving as an air traffic controller
during the Malayan Emergency
and Korean War
. He finally returned to Australia in April 1954, and resigned his commission as an acting Squadron Leader
in September 1954.
He married Maisie Lamont in 1951. He died peacefully at Barham, New South Wales
. He was survived by his wife and their three children.
Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
The Conspicuous Gallantry Medal was, until 1993, a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Armed Forces and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for conspicuous gallantry in action against the enemy at sea...
DFM
Distinguished Flying Medal
The Distinguished Flying Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Royal Air Force and the other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active...
& Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
(3 November 1914 – 30 June 2007) served as an air gunner
Air gunner
An air gunner a.k.a. aerial gunner is a member of an air force aircrew who operates flexible-mount or turret-mounted machine guns or autocannons in an aircraft...
in RAAF bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
s in the Second World War, becoming its most highly decorated non-commissioned officer
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
. A rear gunner in a Halifax bomber
Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
, he was credited with shooting down 8 German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
aircraft and damaging several others, making him the RAAF's only "ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
" who was not a fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
pilot.
Early life
Williams was born in Narrandera, New South WalesNarrandera, New South Wales
-Transport:Narrandera is well served for transport. The Sturt Highway and the Newell Highways cross, just south of Narrandera. Greyhound buses pass daily - note that the destination can be listed as Jillenbah....
, the eldest child of Elsie Mary Gibbs and William Francis Williams. He was educated on the family farm until the family moved to Leeton, New South Wales
Leeton, New South Wales
Leeton is a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Leeton is situated approximately 550 km west of Sydney and 450 km north of Melbourne in the productive Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. Leeton is administered by Leeton Shire Council...
, where his father ran a garage. He attended St Joseph's Convent School and then the Catholic College run by the Marist Brothers
Marist Brothers
The Marist Brothers, or Little Brothers of Mary, are a Catholic religious order of brothers and affiliated lay people. The order was founded in France, at La Valla-en-Gier near Lyon in 1817 by Saint Marcellin Champagnat, a young French priest of the Society of Mary...
in Sale, Victoria
Sale, Victoria
Sale is a city in the Gippsland region of the Australian state of Victoria. It is the seat of the Shire of Wellington as well as the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sale and the Anglican Diocese of Gippsland. It has a population of around 13,336, and is expected to reach a population of 14,000 soon...
. He left school aged 16, and worked in Leeton.
Second World War
He was working for the New South Wales Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission at the outbreak of the Second World War. He joined the Australian ArmyAustralian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
, and transferred to Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
in May 1941. He became the top student in his air gunnery course, and left for England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on the troopship
Troopship
A troopship is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime...
SS Strathallan in March 1942. He became the rear gunner in the Halifax bomber piloted by Des Smith in No. 10 Squadron RAF
No. 10 Squadron RAF
No. 10 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron. The squadron served in a variety of roles over its 90 year history...
in August 1942. He completed a tour of 30 missions, winning two Distinguished Flying Medal
Distinguished Flying Medal
The Distinguished Flying Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Royal Air Force and the other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active...
s, and then volunteered with his crewmates to become a Pathfinder
Pathfinder (RAF)
The Pathfinders were elite squadrons in RAF Bomber Command during World War II. They located and marked targets with flares, which a main bomber force could aim at, increasing the accuracy of their bombing...
with No. 35 Squadron RAF, flying ahead of the main force to mark targets.
His aircraft was severely damaged on a raid over Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
in March 1943, with his turret's rotation mechanism rendered inoperable and a wing on fire. While the crew prepared to bail out, the pilot heard Williams calling him to turn starboard, allowing his machine guns to bear on a closing German nightfighter, which blew up. The bomber dropped its bomb load, but was attacked by a second German fighter. With bullet wounds in his stomach and legs, Williams legs were paralysed, but he managed to shoot down the second fighter. The Halifax limped back to England, where it crash-landed. Williams was cut out of his turret, and spent several months in the hospital recuperating from his injuries. He was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
The Conspicuous Gallantry Medal was, until 1993, a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Armed Forces and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for conspicuous gallantry in action against the enemy at sea...
. He later said that he had been told he would have received the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
if he had died.
He returned to Australia in April 1944, and was posted as a tutor at the air gunnery school in Cressy, Victoria
Cressy, Victoria
Cressy is a country town in Victoria, Australia, about 38 km north of Colac on the Ballarat road. At the 2006 census, Cressy and the surrounding area had a population of 122.-History:...
. He refused to go, requesting an active posting instead. He became a belly gunner in an RAAF B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
bomber in No. 23 Squadron RAAF
No. 23 Squadron RAAF
No. 23 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force is a non-flying base operations and training squadron headquartered at RAAF Base Amberley near Brisbane, Queensland. The Squadron was formed in 1937 and saw action during World War II as a bomber squadron.-History:No...
, based in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
and on Morotai
Morotai
Morotai Island Regency is a regency of North Maluku province, Indonesia, located on Morotai Island. The population was 54,876 in 2007.-History:...
.
Later life
He joined the headquarters of No. 81 Wing RAAFNo. 81 Wing RAAF
No. 81 Wing is the Royal Australian Air Force's air superiority wing. Formed during World War II, it operated in the South West Pacific theatre, flying P-40 Kittyhawks. Following the end of hostilities, it converted to P-51 Mustangs and was based in Japan as part of the Allied occupational forces...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
after the war ended, as part of the occupying forces. By then a Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
, he was demobilised in May 1948. He returned to Australia, taking up a soldier's settlement block near Wakool, New South Wales
Wakool, New South Wales
Wakool is a town in the western Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Wakool is located in the Wakool Shire Local Government Area, south west of the state capital, Sydney and north-west of Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Wakool had a population of 213.Wakool Post Office opened on 1...
on the Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
, developing a rice farm which doubled as a nature reserve. He opposed a plan in the 1950s to drain Christies Creek, which ran through his farm, because it would adversely affect local wildlife.
He returned to the RAAF in 1952 with a short-service commission, serving as an air traffic controller
Air traffic controller
Air traffic controllers are the people who expedite and maintain a safe and orderly flow of air traffic in the global air traffic control system. The position of the air traffic controller is one that requires highly specialized skills...
during the Malayan Emergency
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
and Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. He finally returned to Australia in April 1954, and resigned his commission as an acting Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
in September 1954.
He married Maisie Lamont in 1951. He died peacefully at Barham, New South Wales
Barham, New South Wales
Barham is a town in the western Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia. The town is located 823 kilometres south west of the state capital, Sydney and 303 kilometres north west of Melbourne. Situated on the banks of the Murray River across from Koondrook in the neighbouring state of...
. He was survived by his wife and their three children.