The Norman and Marshall Families - Paupers and Peasants
Estcourt William Norman
Estcourt William Norman (Billy) was born in 1901 in Castle Cary, Somerset. He was the youngest twin son of William and Eliza Norman. His twin brother Harold died as a child.
Estcourt William Norman married Phyllis Mary Elizabeth Scammell in 1924 at All Saints, Branksome Park. Estcourt was aged 23, and a sailor of Alder Farm, son of William Norman, Farm Manager. Phyllis was aged 23 and of Wydale, Langley Road, daughter of Frank Scammell, Joiner. The marriage was witnessed by D (Doris) Scammell and H (Hilda) Norman. Phyllis had known her husband, Estcourt William (known as Billy) for several years before they married. They met on the pottery wall. On Alder Farm Road, close to Billy's home, there was a pottery, which made concrete sewage pipes rather than cups and saucers! There was a low wall where the local teenagers used to gather.
Estcourt William Norman started work at Haskell's Nursery in Poole, but grew tired of living on jam sandwiches prepared by an unsympathetic stepmother. He ran away at the age of 17 to join the Navy! Estcourt was taken on as a boy sailor at HMS Powerful, the training base for boy recruits. From all accounts life was tough. He rose one rank to become an Able Seaman but was not trained in any particular skill. He remained in the Navy until the early 1930s when the Geddes Axe fell on the Navy, throwing hundreds of men out of the service and onto the streets with no help or support. Billy was one of these. He had no skill or trade His daughter, Mary, often wondered how his life would have turned out if his mother had lived and he had followed his brother Herbert to Grammar School.
After leaving the Navy, Billy had to remain in the Royal Fleet Reserve and complete two weeks training every two years. In between he did odd jobs, mainly gardening with his father in the big houses in Branksome Park. He brought very little money into the home during these years of depression.
In August 1939 Billy was called up. He was sent to Weymouth, ostensibly because George V was reviewing the Reserve Fleet, but this was just an excuse get call up the Reserve Fleet and get them on board ready for war. They were mobilised straight after the review and never returned.
Estcourt's Navy Service Record at the National Archives, Kew, gives his service number as J91770 and his date of joining as 11th January 1919. His date of birth is shown correctly, but his birthplace as Yeovil, Somerset. His occupation was given as Market Gardener. He was 5ft 2 inches tall, with a chest measurement of 33 inches. He had dark brown hair, brown eyes and a fresh complexion. No wounds, scars or marks.
He served on HMS Fearful, HMS Victory (Portsmouth), HMS Galatea, HMS Cardiff, HMS Coventry and HMS Tiger in the years up to 1928 (records after the date are still kept with the Navy Personnel Office). In 1920, whilst serving at Portsmouth he was promoted from an Ordinary Seaman to an Able Bodied Seaman. Throughout his service his character was always VG (very good) and his ability Satisfactory, Moderate or Super.
He continued to serve in the Navy and in World War Two was stationed aboard 'HMS Despatch' under Captain Poland. They sailed to the South Atlantic where they were sent after the German Ship 'Dusseldorf', itself being sent to supply the 'Graf Spee'. 'HMS Despatch' captured the Dusselfdorf and a 'prize crew' including Estcourt were sent to board it. Estcourt was attacked by a German crewman and had to kill him with his bayonet in order to save his own life. We have no firm evidence to back him up, though there is proof that the Despatch did capture the Dusselfdorf in December 1939.On Thursday 29th February 1940, Despatch was involved in another incident with a German ship, intercepting the Troja off Aruba.