Description

For sale is a 1939 -45 Star, pacific Star, War Medal and Australian Service Medal 1939 – 45 all named WX29020 J.L. NORRIS. They come with copies of service record extracts and 60th Anniversary end of WW2 cased coin.

Set came direct from the family.

John Leslie Norris was born in Northam, Western Australia in 1919. He was working as a clerk when he enlisted into the Militia being posted to the Western Command Signals Unit on 8/3/194 with service #W234421. He was issued with a new service # WX29020 in July 1942 on transferring to the A.I.F.

He was posted to Queensland Line of Command area in July 1942 and then onto the Milne Force Signals landing on 21/8/1942. Milne Force was a garrison force formed in July 1942 which controlled Allied naval, land and air units in the region of Milne Bay.

He was detached for ‘Special Duty” from 27/9/1942 – 9/11/1942. The special duty was with ‘A” Heavy Battery.  A’ Field Battery, Royal Australian Artillery Regiment was re-designated as the 2nd Mountain Battery deployed to New Guinea as a special Artillery Unit with a special task and arrived in Port Moresby on the 19/9/1943. After considerable training and acclimatization, the Battery left for Lae by air on the 15/11/1943.

He also served with the Signals N.G. Line of Command before returning to the Milne Force Signals which was renamed 11th Division (in December 1942). He returned to Australia on 23/3/1944 with malaria as one of his service souvenirs.

He was in and out of hospital due to malaria being ultimately discharged on 12/10/1944.

He died on 11/11/1997 in Dowerin, WA.