WILLIAM NORRISH
1891 – 1961
William was born in Ashburton in 1891 son of Charles Norrish and Mary Irish. He had five brothers George, John, Charles, Thomas and Walter and three sisters Selina, Celia and Susan.
In 1901 William was living at Cator and he attended Widecombe School. By 1911, like a number of his brothers William had left the family home and was living and working at Grendon Farm, Widecombe.
In 1916 William enlisted in the 1st/4th Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment. The Battalion first saw action in India in 1916 but was transferred to the Mesopotamian Theatre in 1917. William fought and was wounded at the second battle of Kut. Although the capture of Kut was a great success the casualties were so great the 1st/4th Battalion was no longer a viable front line fighting unit. The Battalion remained in this Mesopotamian Theatre until the end of the War in 1918.
In 1920, following demobilisation William married Alice Daw and they had a son Reginald born in 1923.
William died in 1961 aged 70, he is buried in Widecombe Churchyard along with wife Alice who died in 1967.
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