Gerard Norton
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Gerard Norton
| image = Gerard Ross Norton VC.jpg
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1915|9|7}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2004|10|29|1915|9|7}}
| placeofburial_label =
| placeofburial =
| birth_place = Herschel, Eastern Cape, South Africa
| death_place = Harare, Zimbabwe
| placeofburial_coordinates =
| nickname = Toys
| allegiance =
{{plainlist|
- {{UK}}
- {{flagcountry|Union of South Africa}}
}}
| branch = South African Army
| serviceyears =
| rank = Captain
| servicenumber = 9111V
| unit = Kaffrarian Rifles attached to Hampshire Regiment
| commands =
| battles =
{{plainlist|
}}
| awards =
{{plainlist|
}}
| relations = Charles Ross Norton (father)
Millicent Henrietta Norton (mother)
| laterwork = Tobacco farmer
}}
Gerard Ross 'Toys' Norton {{post-nominals|VC|MM}} (7 September 1915 – 29 October 2004) was a South African recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Early life
Educated at Selborne College, East London (where he acquired his nickname) he was a keen sportsman excelling at cricket, rugby and tennis.
After school, he joined Barclays Bank at Umtata. After a short spell in the Johannesburg branch of the bank, he returned to East London. The hostel at Selborne College is named in his honour.{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2004/nov/05/guardianobituaries.military | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Diana | last=Condell | title=Military UK, South Africa (News), World news, UK news, Africa (News) | date=4 November 2004}}
Military career
Norton's peacetime military training was done with the Middelandse Regiment, but after the outbreak of the Second World War he was transferred to the Kaffrarian Rifles in East London. In 1943, he transferred in to the 1/4th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment (later the Royal Hampshire Regiment).{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/6455161/Captain-Gerard-Norton-VC.html | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | title=Captain Gerard Norton, VC | date=2 November 2004}}
On 31 August 1944 during the attack on Montegridolfo, Italy, Lieutenant Norton's platoon was pinned down by heavy fire. On his own initiative and with complete disregard for his own safety, he advanced alone and attacked the first machine-gun emplacement, killing the crew of three. He then went on to the second position containing two machine-guns and 15 riflemen, and wiped out both machine-gun nests, killing or taking prisoner the remainder of the enemy. Throughout these attacks he was continuously under fire from a self-propelled gun, nevertheless he calmly went on to lead his platoon against the remaining enemy positions.
The award of the Victoria Cross was gazetted on 24 October 1944.{{London Gazette |issue= 36764|date=24 October 1944|pages=4899–4900|supp=y}}
He later achieved the rank of Captain.
Later life
References
{{reflist}}
- British VCs of World War 2 (John Laffin, 1997)
- Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
- The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
External links
{{Portal|Biography}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/19990203170415/http://www.magicnet.net/~westham/vc11.html Gerard Norton]
- [http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/bbnorton.htm Victoria Cross]
- [http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/ggzimbab.htm Burial location]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Norton, Gerard Ross}}
Category:People from Senqu Local Municipality
Category:South African World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross
Category:Recipients of the Military Medal
Category:South African military personnel of World War II
Category:South African Army officers
Category:South African people of British descent
Category:White Zimbabwean people
Category:South African emigrants to Rhodesia