Nigel Norman
Encyclopedia
Air Commodore
Sir Henry Nigel St Valery Norman (generally known as Sir Nigel Norman) Bt, CBE
, RAF (21 May 1897 – 19 May 1943) was a consulting civil engineer and Royal Air Force
officer during the first half of the 20th century.
, and Ménie Muriel Dowie
. Following officer training at the Royal Military College Sandhurst, he served as a subaltern with the Royal Garrison Artillery
during World War I
. He later transferred to the Royal Corps of Signals
.
In 1926, Norman married Patricia Moyra, eldest daughter of the late Lt. Col. J.H.A. Annesley. During that year, Norman volunteered for reserve service as a pilot with No. 601 (County of London) Squadron
in the Auxiliary Air Force, and he later assumed duties as a flight commander.
with Alan Muntz. In 1929, the company opened Heston Aerodrome
that was active in private, commercial and military aviation until closure in 1947. In 1931, he was appointed Officer Commanding of No. 601 Squadron. In 1934, he transferred to the Auxiliary Air Force Reserve of Officers in the rank of squadron leader
. He later commanded No. 110 Wing at Ringway.
In 1935, in partnership with architect Graham Dawbarn, Norman founded the consultancy firm of Norman and Dawbarn, responsible for designs of buildings and lay-outs of many municipal airports in the UK and overseas, including those at Gatwick, Birmingham
, Ringway, Jersey
, and Guernsey
.
In 1939, Norman succeeded to the title 2nd Baronet of Honeyhanger.
. From the early days of World War II, he worked in close collaboration with the British Army on developing airborne troops. Norman controlled the air side of the first British paratroop raid on Italy shortly it after entered the war. He not only arranged all the details, but took a personal interest in all the numerous training exercises before the raid, and accompanied the paratroops on the expedition, returning regretfully, he said, in an aircraft, as he was not at that time a proficient parachutist. When he got back, he went on a parachute course. He distinguished himself in the raid by British parachute troops on the coast of northern France in March 1942, when the radio location post at Bruneval, 12 miles north of Le Havre, was destroyed. It was a combined operation, the carrying force of R.A.F. bombers under Norman's command and led by Wing Commander
P. C. Pickard
.
His final appointment came in 1942, when he was appointed Air Officer Commanding
No. 38 Wing
. On 19 May 1943, Norman died in the post-crash fire when the Lockheed Hudson
IIIA (FH168) that was to carry him to North Africa
force-landed after take off from RAF St Mawgan.
, a member of the Aviation Committee of the London Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Council of the Air Registration Board, of which body he was also chairman of the Design and Construction Panel.
Norman's eldest of three sons was Mark Annesley, born on February 8, 1927, who succeeded him as third baronet. Mark Norman worked for Bristol Siddeley
Engines as company secretary. Nigel Norman's second son was Desmond Norman
co-founder of the aircraft manufacturer Britten Norman. Torquil Norman
, third of Sir Nigel's sons founded Bluebird Toys and the Roundhouse Trust.
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Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Henry Nigel St Valery Norman (generally known as Sir Nigel Norman) Bt, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, RAF (21 May 1897 – 19 May 1943) was a consulting civil engineer and Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
officer during the first half of the 20th century.
Early years
Nigel Norman was the only child of journalist and travel writer Henry NormanHenry Norman
Sir Henry Norman, 1st Baronet PC was an English journalist and Liberal politician. Norman was educated privately in France and at Harvard University, where he obtained his B.A...
, and Ménie Muriel Dowie
Ménie Muriel Dowie
Ménie Muriel Dowie was a British writer.Dowie was born in Liverpool as the daughter of James Muir Dowie, a merchant, and Annie Dowie. Her maternal grandfather was Scottish author and publisher Robert Chambers....
. Following officer training at the Royal Military College Sandhurst, he served as a subaltern with the Royal Garrison Artillery
Royal Garrison Artillery
The Royal Garrison Artillery was an arm of the Royal Artillery that was originally tasked with manning the guns of the British Empire's forts and fortresses, including coastal artillery batteries, the heavy gun batteries attached to each infantry division, and the guns of the siege...
during 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...
. He later transferred to the Royal Corps of Signals
Royal Corps of Signals
The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
.
In 1926, Norman married Patricia Moyra, eldest daughter of the late Lt. Col. J.H.A. Annesley. During that year, Norman volunteered for reserve service as a pilot with No. 601 (County of London) Squadron
No. 601 Squadron RAF
No. 601 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, based in London. The squadron battle honours most notably include the Battle of Britain and the first Americans to fly in World War II were members of this squadron.-History:...
in the Auxiliary Air Force, and he later assumed duties as a flight commander.
Professional life
In 1928, Norman co-founded Airwork ServicesAirwork Services
During the post-war period Airwork also further expanded its business into civil aviation. This expansion was financed by its wealthy shareholders, including Lord Cowdray, Whitehall Securities, the Blue Star shipping line, Furness Withy and Thomas Loel Evelyn Bulkeley Guinness.Airwork's other air...
with Alan Muntz. In 1929, the company opened Heston Aerodrome
Heston Aerodrome
Heston Aerodrome was a 1930s airfield located to the west of London, UK, operational between 1929 and 1947. It was situated on the border of the Heston and Cranford areas of Hounslow, Middlesex...
that was active in private, commercial and military aviation until closure in 1947. In 1931, he was appointed Officer Commanding of No. 601 Squadron. In 1934, he transferred to the Auxiliary Air Force Reserve of Officers in the rank of 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...
. He later commanded No. 110 Wing at Ringway.
In 1935, in partnership with architect Graham Dawbarn, Norman founded the consultancy firm of Norman and Dawbarn, responsible for designs of buildings and lay-outs of many municipal airports in the UK and overseas, including those at Gatwick, Birmingham
, Ringway, Jersey
Jersey Airport
-Busiest routes:Some airlines offer services between Jersey and other destinations with an intermediate stop at Guernsey. There are also periodic charter flights to European holiday destinations, Madeira and ski destinations operated by airlines such as Aurigny Air Services, Europe Airpost, Palmair...
, and Guernsey
Guernsey Airport
Guernsey Airport is the largest airport in the Bailiwick of Guernsey and is the only airport on the island of Guernsey. It is located in the Forest, a parish in Guernsey, west southwest of St. Peter Port.-History:...
.
In 1939, Norman succeeded to the title 2nd Baronet of Honeyhanger.
World War II
In 1940, Norman commanded the Central Landing EstablishmentCentral Landing Establishment
The Central Landing Establishment was the Second World War British development centre for airborne warfare at RAF Ringway airfield near Manchester.-Establishment:...
. From the early days of World War II, he worked in close collaboration with the British Army on developing airborne troops. Norman controlled the air side of the first British paratroop raid on Italy shortly it after entered the war. He not only arranged all the details, but took a personal interest in all the numerous training exercises before the raid, and accompanied the paratroops on the expedition, returning regretfully, he said, in an aircraft, as he was not at that time a proficient parachutist. When he got back, he went on a parachute course. He distinguished himself in the raid by British parachute troops on the coast of northern France in March 1942, when the radio location post at Bruneval, 12 miles north of Le Havre, was destroyed. It was a combined operation, the carrying force of R.A.F. bombers under Norman's command and led by Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
P. C. Pickard
Percy Charles Pickard
Group Captain Percy Charles "Pick" Pickard DSO & Two Bars, DFC, was a British bomber pilot and commander during World War II. He is best remembered by the public for his role in the 1941 wartime propaganda film Target for Tonight in which he featured as the pilot of 'F for Freddie' – a Wellington...
.
His final appointment came in 1942, when he was appointed Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding is a title given in the air forces of Commonwealth nations to an air officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, an air vice marshal might be the AOC 38 Group...
No. 38 Wing
No. 38 Group RAF
No 38 Group RAF was formed on 6 November 1943 from nine squadrons as part of Fighter Command. It was finally disbanded on 1 April 2000.-History:...
. On 19 May 1943, Norman died in the post-crash fire when the Lockheed Hudson
Lockheed Hudson
The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter...
IIIA (FH168) that was to carry him to North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
force-landed after take off from RAF St Mawgan.
Postscript
Norman was a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical SocietyRoyal Aeronautical Society
The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a multidisciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community.-Function:...
, a member of the Aviation Committee of the London Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Council of the Air Registration Board, of which body he was also chairman of the Design and Construction Panel.
Norman's eldest of three sons was Mark Annesley, born on February 8, 1927, who succeeded him as third baronet. Mark Norman worked for Bristol Siddeley
Bristol Siddeley
Bristol Siddeley Engines Ltd was a British aero engine manufacturer. The company was formed in 1959 by a merger of Bristol Aero-Engines Limited and Armstrong Siddeley Motors Limited. In 1961 the company was expanded by the purchase of the de Havilland Engine Company and the engine division of...
Engines as company secretary. Nigel Norman's second son was Desmond Norman
Desmond Norman
Nigel Desmond Norman aircraft designer: born London 13 August 1929; co-founded Britten-Norman 1954; CBE 1970; chairman and managing director, AeroNorTec 1988-2002; married 1956 Anne Fogg Elliot , 1965 Boel Holmsen ; died of a heart attack on Basingstoke railway station, Hampshire 13 November 2002...
co-founder of the aircraft manufacturer Britten Norman. Torquil Norman
Torquil Norman
Sir Torquil Patrick Alexander Norman CBE is a British businessman, aircraft enthusiast, and arts philanthropist.-Life:An Old Etonian, graduate of Harvard and Trinity College, Cambridge, he stands 6' 7". Torquil gained his pilot’s licence at eighteen, did National Service in the Fleet Air Arm and...
, third of Sir Nigel's sons founded Bluebird Toys and the Roundhouse Trust.
External links
- Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - Air Commodore Sir Nigel Norman http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Norman.htm
- Obituary, Flight, May 27, 1943 http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1943/1943%20-%201381.html
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