I have just come across this video. I met Norman in 2005 on Black Sunday. Norman was a friend of my Grandads Bill Lawton. They both served together in the 6th Battalion through North Africa and Italy. He was a lovely gent.
'Oh Gawd! he said... and off we went'. Knocking out a MG42 nest and he makes it sound like a walk in the park. I could listen to fellas like this all day long. BTW - for any non Brits watching, a Lance-Sergeant is a rank peculiar to the Foot Guards regiments - it's equivalent to a full corporal.
You just saved me a load of time. I heard that and my ears went up. I study British infantry in WWII, and I was like "lance what?" (I also reenact, hence the photo) I forgot, the guards have a rank structure all their own.
another rank that used tobe around and I have not heard of for a while is Staff Corporal which is 2 strips with a crown above the same as staff seargant
1-13 "What have I got next?" THAT my friends, is why the British forces are the best in the world! No Gung-Ho B.S. No need! When you ARE the best, modesty and self-deprecation come naturally.
Lovely guy. Movingly, he looks and sounds like my beloved father in law (who is 94 as I write this). He's an Aussie like me, but his voice has that decency and manner of this chap. Keith (Dad, as I call him, now my own father is gone) flew Catalinas in the Pacific in WWII. Got shot down once and he and the crew made it to a nearby atoll. They were really pissed off, because they had just been paid and all their money got wet. So they dried it out under pebbles on the beach. They got picked up somehow and made it back. He said he bent quite a few Catalinas, either trying to take off with a full load of mines, or trying to land coming home in rough water. Stories like that just make it all real. His war record is online, thanks to the Australian War Museum. The only recommendations he ever got were "satisfactory", lol. True humility in the face of such personal danger.
What a gent. My grandfather had many of those medals, Sgt Jonny 'Jock' Gibson, Lancashire Fusiliers. Wa Mitchel. s very young when he died in the 80s. never got to hear his stories. wonderful tale Mr Mitchell.
A big well done to this man for his service in the war. Those medals are well deserved. Just to point out the war medal was wrongly referred to as a victory medal. The war medal was awarded to anyone who had served a maximum of twenty eight days in uniform.
what an amazing life he has lived. And he has lived during interesting times and he plays down the hardship that he has endured with a happy go lucky attitude and a chuckle god bless him
This is why I always felt the VC to the Unknown Warrior is so fitting, just as it is with unidentifiable soldiers there was and will be unidentified valour.
Lovely....I want to slap the person who put thumbs down.....You must be a very sad awful person and you should not be living in this country.....please remember if it was not for these men we would all be speaking German now..........
That's what most people don't realise. Medals are awarded for brave acts but those acts have to be witnessed. There were many thousands of brave acts performed that weren't witnessed.
late reply but he says "of course it broke the spell and i was alright again and we said "throw that at the bugger" (throwing a grenade) and I knocked the gun out, but there was no-one to witness it. We'd had both had an MM (military medal), never mind, doesn't matter, we did it, we knocked it out"
Wish they would do a full interview with these gentleman and not just these 3 minute pieces.(plus fact checking later one since sometimes, these gentleman said something that was just not true , but I guess thats explainable since 50 years have passed) I guess in another 10 or 20 years we will start to understand that it was one of the biggest mistakes not to record and speak to the people that fought in the war. The same mistake was made with the WW1 Veterans, and we are now making the same mistake again
You can fact check all you want, but unless there's another who was there at the same time viewing the action from the same point, the man's memory is what happened as he saw it. Actions accounts are written up later, usually by someone who wasn't there and to use an old army saying "Paper never refused ink". There is a lot of recording of wartime experiences in existence, it's just not out there. The BBC did a great series, that I watched as a boy, it must have been in the early '70's, on the Boer War, with lots of interviews of the soldiers who took part in it. It was fascinating.
I cant understand why all veterans who served for the Queen did to receive the Dimond Jubilee medal as so meany have been given to people who have never been under fire and only a few high raking veterans received it "Shocking". This man defiantly deserves one to go with his coronation medal. I salute you sir. Great story
@@twinsonic iraq campaign and 3 stars, global war on terrorism expeditionary, marine good conduct and 3 stars, national defense metals. i was kicked out of the marines corps for being psychotic. forced to discharge. now im 100% p&t from the va for a schizophrenic disorder.
![[UNCUT] “บอสณวัฒน์” ลากไส้!! ใครหนุนหลัง "แม่ตั๊ก ป๋าเบียร์" I คนดังนั่งเคลียร์ I 30 ก.ย. 67](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QlD7mU2KKRk/mqdefault.jpg)
I love the fact he gave himself a medal that’s such a British soldier thing to do, bless him very funny and interesting guy.
He's brilliant, I could listen to him tell stories all day.
Respect to you sir.
I love how pleased he is, sixty years on, for nicking a medal. He's clearly never lived it down and that internal turmoil is so incredibly English.
these guys are so honest and real , when you reach a certain age bullshit stops and you tell it like it was.
One of a kind and a very proud Grenadier. I'm very lucky to be able to call this man a friend.
I have just come across this video. I met Norman in 2005 on Black Sunday. Norman was a friend of my Grandads Bill Lawton. They both served together in the 6th Battalion through North Africa and Italy. He was a lovely gent.
That was great and so funny - '' Im going to ask him to stop shooting at us ''. Brave man.
'Oh Gawd! he said... and off we went'. Knocking out a MG42 nest and he makes it sound like a walk in the park. I could listen to fellas like this all day long.
BTW - for any non Brits watching, a Lance-Sergeant is a rank peculiar to the Foot Guards regiments - it's equivalent to a full corporal.
You just saved me a load of time. I heard that and my ears went up. I study British infantry in WWII, and I was like "lance what?" (I also reenact, hence the photo) I forgot, the guards have a rank structure all their own.
+Charlie Gallagher Similar to how the Household Cavalry has Corporals of Horse rather than Sergeants
another rank that used tobe around and I have not heard of for a while is Staff Corporal which is 2 strips with a crown above the same as staff seargant
Notice how he did use "spandau" to describe the German MG. LindyBeige was right
LindyBeige!
Gungriffen now I see Spandau Ballet in a whole new light.
Spandau Ballet was named after the dance or jerky body movements that war criminals had when they were hanged in Spandau prison after the war.
this series of videos is bloody wonderful, outstanding chaps, all of them. So important that we document their experiences now while we can
One thing you always notice about truly brave men is the way they mock their own courage.
That was too funny. I’m gonna go ask him to stop shooting at us lol awesome story
1-13 "What have I got next?" THAT my friends, is why the British forces are the best in the world! No Gung-Ho B.S. No need! When you ARE the best, modesty and self-deprecation come naturally.
If only .....
Lovely guy. Movingly, he looks and sounds like my beloved father in law (who is 94 as I write this). He's an Aussie like me, but his voice has that decency and manner of this chap. Keith (Dad, as I call him, now my own father is gone) flew Catalinas in the Pacific in WWII. Got shot down once and he and the crew made it to a nearby atoll. They were really pissed off, because they had just been paid and all their money got wet. So they dried it out under pebbles on the beach. They got picked up somehow and made it back. He said he bent quite a few Catalinas, either trying to take off with a full load of mines, or trying to land coming home in rough water.
Stories like that just make it all real. His war record is online, thanks to the Australian War Museum. The only recommendations he ever got were "satisfactory", lol. True humility in the face of such personal danger.
What a gent. My grandfather had many of those medals, Sgt Jonny 'Jock' Gibson, Lancashire Fusiliers. Wa Mitchel. s very young when he died in the 80s. never got to hear his stories. wonderful tale Mr Mitchell.
These videos are incredible. Please don't let them stop. Thank you for your service Norman.
+Graham M Sadly, advancing years will stop them......
+factnotfictionpeople Which is precisely why more of these videos need to be made before they can't be made anymore
+Graham M I agree - but time is not on our side........
One word .... Legend
Great man ! Could listen to him all the time ...
A big well done to this man for his service in the war. Those medals are well deserved. Just to point out the war medal was wrongly referred to as a victory medal. The war medal was awarded to anyone who had served a maximum of twenty eight days in uniform.
Great guy, these men won the war for us and should never be forgotten.
I'm so glad I came across this series, It's almost midnight and I'm still watching. Wonderful.
Love this guy ! Hes a down to earth lad
What an amazing chap xD I could listen to these stories all day. Good man!
what an amazing life he has lived. And he has lived during interesting times and he plays down the hardship that he has endured with a happy go lucky attitude and a chuckle god bless him
This is why I always felt the VC to the Unknown Warrior is so fitting, just as it is with unidentifiable soldiers there was and will be unidentified valour.
post the full interviews please
And just like that, knock out a MG42 and its crew.
Fucking hell. Those two had BALLS!!
Marvellous...just Marvellous. I enjoyed every minute of it.
Thank you for your service sir from a friend across the pond.
I love this guy! He is great!
Lovely....I want to slap the person who put thumbs down.....You must be a very sad awful person and you should not be living in this country.....please remember if it was not for these men we would all be speaking German now..........
One a Grenadier always a Grenadier,blue/red/blue
what a top gent, total respect X
This has inspired to to go an befriend older people at a local home...got to be so many interesting stories to enjoy hearing.
It was the same with the GSM I worked my arse off for it while some sat on their arses safe as houses.
L E G E N D
God bless the lads on camino
Solid Gold Army Legend.
love this man.
Respect....
That's what most people don't realise. Medals are awarded for brave acts but those acts have to be witnessed. There were many thousands of brave acts performed that weren't witnessed.
But I got one… because I distributed them. There’ll never be a generation like them.
Rip
4:40 I absolutely could not make that out but I laughed anyways.
late reply but he says "of course it broke the spell and i was alright again and we said "throw that at the bugger" (throwing a grenade) and I knocked the gun out, but there was no-one to witness it. We'd had both had an MM (military medal), never mind, doesn't matter, we did it, we knocked it out"
Wish they would do a full interview with these gentleman and not just these 3 minute pieces.(plus fact checking later one since sometimes, these gentleman said something that was just not true , but I guess thats explainable since 50 years have passed)
I guess in another 10 or 20 years we will start to understand that it was one of the biggest mistakes not to record and speak to the people that fought in the war.
The same mistake was made with the WW1 Veterans, and we are now making the same mistake again
You can fact check all you want, but unless there's another who was there at the same time viewing the action from the same point, the man's memory is what happened as he saw it. Actions accounts are written up later, usually by someone who wasn't there and to use an old army saying "Paper never refused ink". There is a lot of recording of wartime experiences in existence, it's just not out there. The BBC did a great series, that I watched as a boy, it must have been in the early '70's, on the Boer War, with lots of interviews of the soldiers who took part in it. It was fascinating.
snipper1ie
you don´t happen to know the title of that series ?
Not sure
I cant understand why all veterans who served for the Queen did to receive the Dimond Jubilee medal as so meany have been given to people who have never been under fire and only a few high raking veterans received it "Shocking". This man defiantly deserves one to go with his coronation medal. I salute you sir. Great story
Unless they had a VC, no "high ranking veterans" received any jubilee medals.
RIP Sir!
Good on you. I have tremendous respect for you and your's.
What a nice bloke I'd love to spend a night in the bar with him bet he's got some great stories I salute you sir thanks
Polished medals,No No.
yep and the days when Palestine, was Palestine, not like it is now..
Top man.
thank you
Respect...
REspect
i got better metals
you got NONE for sure..
@@twinsonic iraq campaign and 3 stars, global war on terrorism expeditionary, marine good conduct and 3 stars, national defense metals. i was kicked out of the marines corps for being psychotic. forced to discharge. now im 100% p&t from the va for a schizophrenic disorder.
Some of the medal info is duff in thjs video, he's not correct, and imo he should know better