Norman Harvey VC

b. 06/04/1899 Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire. d. 16/02/1942 Haifa, Israel.

Norman Harvey (1899-1942) was born on 6th April 1899 in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire. His father, Charles William Harvey, was from Standon, Hertfordshire. Charles was orphaned at a young age and was raised by his aunt and uncle, James and Eliza Tew at Mill End, Standon. He was a packer and later a platelayer on the railways. He married Mary Beesley from St Helens, Lancashire, in 1893 in Prescot, Lancashire. Norman had ten siblings in all.

Norman Harvey VC

Norman was educated at St Peter’s Church of England School, Newton-le-Willows and was a member of the Church Lads’ Brigade. He worked for Messrs Randall and later for Caulfield’s at Newton. He enlisted, aged 15, in the South Lancashire Regiment in November 1914, giving his date of birth as 7th May 1897. He went to France on 6th August 1915 and was slightly wounded later that year. He was seriously wounded in 1917 and was evacuated to Britain, where he was retained when his true age was uncovered. He attended a physical training and bayonet fighting course in Portsmouth and qualified as an instructor. He returned to France in the spring of 1918 to join the 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.

On 25th October 1918, his battalion (the 1st Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers) was held up and suffered heavy casualties from enemy machine guns. On his own initiative he rushed forward and engaged the enemy single-handed, disposing of twenty enemy and capturing two guns. Later, when his company was checked by another enemy strong point, he again rushed forward alone and put the enemy to flight. Subsequently, after dark, he voluntarily carried out, single-handed, an important reconnaissance and gained valuable information. Pte. Harvey throughout the day displayed the greatest valour, and his several actions enabled the line to advance, saved many casualties, and inspired all.

The Battalion CO presented the VC ribbon to Norman on 26th December 1918, before even his award was gazetted. His VC was gazetted on 6th January 1919, and he was demobilized later that year. He received the VC from King George V at Buckingham Palace on 15th May 1919. Later that year, he married Norah Osmand Osborne Treadwell at St Matthew’s Church, Dyffryn, Bryncoch, near Neath, South Wales. They went on to have four children – Avril, Patricia, Norman and Geraldine.

Norman enlisted as a blacksmith’s striker in the Royal Engineers (Territorial Army) on 11th September 1925. He attended the VC Dinner at the House of Lords in November 1929. In 1934 he was invited to attend the opening of the Mersey Tunnel by King George V. He was embodied on 1st September 1939 and was promoted lance corporal on 25th September. He served in France between January and June 1940 and was promoted to corporal, then lance sergeant and finally sergeant in July 1940. He served in Palestine from 6th October 1940 and was appointed company quartermaster sergeant on 24th April 1941 while serving with 199th Railway Workshop Company Royal Engineers.

Tragically, Norman committed suicide at Haifa, Palestine on 16th February 1942 by shooting himself with a rifle. An inquest on 13th March and court of inquiry on 3oth April both concluded he was temporarily of an unsound mind. He was buried in Khayat Beach War Cemetery, Haifa (now Sharon), Israel. He is commemorated with Harvey Avenue in Newton-le-Willows, named on the Newton-le-Willows War Memorial, and has a VC commemorative stone placed at Newton-le-Willows War Memorial on 27th October 2018. There is also a statue to him in Mesnes Park Remembrance Meadow. He is also named on a memorial to VCs of former Irish Regiments in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, on the memorial stone at Ulster Tower, Thiepval, France, and at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire in the Church Lad’s Brigade Memorial plot.

In addition to the VC, he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal 1914-19, 1939-45 Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-45 and George VI Coronation Medal 1937. The medals were purchased at Sotheby’s on 26th November 1980 for £9,000. The VC is held by the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Regimental Museum, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.

LOCATION OF MEDAL: ROYAL INNISKILLING FUSILIERS, ENNISKILLEN, NORTHERN IRELAND.

BURIAL PLACE: KHAYAT BEACH WAR CEMETERY, HAIFA, ISRAEL.

PLOT A, GRAVE 4