Frank Kingsley Norris KBE CB DSO (1893 - 1984)

Born 25 Jun 1893 in Lillydale, Victoria (Australia)

Ancestors

Husband of Dorothy Leonard (Stevenson) Norris — married 25 May 1920 in East Malvern, Victoria, Australia

Died 1 May 1984 at age 90 in Camberwell, Victoria, Australia

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Biography

Brigadier Sir Frank Norris

Frank Norris KBE CB DSO is Notable.

Major General Doctor Sir Kingsley Norris KBE CB CStJ DSO ED MD MBBS was a senior Australian military officer and physician. He served in both the First and Second World Wars, as well as the Korean War.

Formative years

Born Frank Kingsley Norris on the 25th of June 1893 at Belleville, Lillydale in the Colony of Victoria (Australia). He was the second son of Doctor W Perrin Norris and Mary Foulkes. ^[1][2] His grandparents all emigrated from England.

Frank was educated at Melbourne Grammar School. He entered the University of Melbourne to study medicine, however, interrupted his studies upon declaration of the (First World) War.

The Great War

Frank Norris KBE CB DSO is an Anzac who served in World War One.

Frank Norris KBE CB DSO is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Australian Army 1914-1955, attaining the rank of Major General.
He served in the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps through three wars.

Frank enlisted on 18th August 1914 as a trooper in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), his young nation's overseas expeditionary force for the (First World) War. He served with the 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance at Gallipoli ^[3] and was later a senior non-commissioned officer in the 2nd Australian General Hospital on Lemnos Island. He returned to Australia on 8th October 1915; being released to continue his medical studies. ^[4][5]

Frank graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1916 with the dual degrees, Bachelor of Medicine (MB) and Bachelor of Surgery (BS), and was appointed to the staff of the Queen's Memorial Infectious Diseases Hospital, Melbourne. ^[6]

Between wars

Continuing his medical studies at Melbourne Uni, Frank graduated in 1920 with a Doctor of Medicine (MD). After graduation, he was appointed to residencies at the (Royal) Melbourne and (Royal) Children’s Hospitals. He later set up in private practice as a paediatrician.

Frank married Dorothy Stevenson, a Sister at the Children’s Hospital, on 25th May 1920 in St John's Church of England (Anglican Church), East Malvern, Victoria. The ceremony was officiated by the Reverend H B Hewett. ^[7][8]

In 1923 he re-joined the army, in the Commonwealth Military Forces (militia forces), being commissioned as a Captain and was posted to the 2nd Cavalry Field Hygiene Section for six years. Between 1938-39 he was Deputy Assistant Director of Medical Services, 2nd Cavalry Division.

Second World War

Upon the outbreak of the Second World War, Frank transferred to the Second Australian Imperial Force (2AIF), on 17th November 1939; being appointed to command the 2/1st Casualty Clearing Station. He was subsequently promoted to Colonel and appointed Assistant Director of Medical Services of the 7th Division, serving in the Mediterranean. In 1941 he was appointed Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). ^[9]

At the beginning of 1942, he returned to Australia through Java, avoiding capture by the Japanese. As chief medical officer of the 7th Division Frank served in the Papuan campaign in 1942-43. He was the first senior officer to cross the Owen Stanley Range on foot. He served for three months on the Kokoda Track, supervising medical evacuations and resupply, and assisting surgeons in forward areas. In May 1943 he was promoted to Deputy Director of Medical Services of the 1st Australian Corps, his service including Buna-Gona-Sanananda, Lae and Finschhafen. In 1943 he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). ^[10] He was posted to Headquarters 2nd Australian Corps on promotion to Brigadier. ^[11]

Frank's determination to see life at forward areas for himself, compromised his health; as it did for the vast majority of servicemen. He was evacuated to Australia in April 1944. From was demobilised from the 2AIF on 2nd April 1946, returning once more to the militia.

Post Second World War

From 1948 to 1955, Frank served as Director-General of Medical Services upon promotion to Major General. In this role he established the School of Army Health at Puckapunyal, Victoria (moved to Portsea in 1950 and to Healesville in 1952). He was appointed Officer of the Order of Saint John (OStJ) in January 1952 ^[12] and, at the end of that same year, Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB). ^[13]

In his role as Director-General of Medical Services he was once more called up to full-time service during the Korean War. ^[14] He finally withdrew to the Retired List in June 1955, aged 62 years and following a military career spanning five decades.

Author

Frank wrote two biographical works

Frank wrote two books, Major-General Sir Neville Howse, V.C. and No Memory For Pain: An Autobiography. ^[15] The following is an excerpt from No Memory For Pain: ^[16]

"For us there was only one narrow route of advance over the densely jungle clad mountains, and this was the only route for the evacuation of our casualties. Before the war little was known of this track, which was considered impracticable for troops, but this narrow native path was to become historic as the Kokoda Trail, and to witness what was probably the last of long marches for any army. I quote from my diary:

"Imagine an area approximately one hundred miles long; crumple and fold this into a series of ridges, rising higher and higher until seven thousand feet is reached, then declining again to three thousand feet; cover this thickly with jungle, short trees and tall trees tangled with great entwining savage vines; through the oppression of this density cut a little native track two or three feet wide, up the ridges, over the spurs, around gorges, and down across swiftly flowing mountain streams. Where the track clambers up the mountain sides, cut steps, big steps, little steps, steep steps, or clear the soil from the tree roots. Every few miles bring the track through a small patch of sunlit kunai grass or an old deserted native garden, and every seven or ten miles build a group of dilapidated grass huts as staging shelter, generally set in a foul, offensive clearing. Every now and then leave beside the track dumps of discarded, putrefying food, occasional dead bodies and human foulings. In the morning flicker the sunlight through the tall trees, after midday and throughout the night, pour water over the forest, so that the steps become broken and a continual yellow stream flows downwards, and the few level areas become pools of putrid mud. In the high ridges about Myola, drip this water day and night softly over the track and through a foetid forest, grotesque with moss and glowing phosphorescent fungi and flickering fireflies.

"Such is the track which a prominent politician publicly described as being “almost impassable for motor vehicles”, and such is the route to be covered for ten days from Kokoda to Ilolo."

Later life

Upon retiring from the Army, Frank was engaged in a range of professional and philanthropic ventures. In January 1957, he was appointed Commander of the Order of Saint John (CStJ). ^[17] He was created Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours 1957 'in recognition of his distinguished service to medicine'. ^[18][19]

Among the many positions Frank held were chairman (1949-57) of the College of Nursing Australia, president of the Victorian branch of the Royal Empire Society (1948-54) and of the Good Neighbour Council of Victoria (1959-63), and chief commissioner in Australia (1963-69) of the St John Ambulance Brigade.

Major General Sir Frank Kingsley Norris passed away on 1st May 1984 in Camberwell, Victoria, aged 90 years; and is buried in Box Hill Cemetery, Victoria. ^{[20][21][22] [23]} He was survived by two of his daughters; one daughter (died in infancy) and his wife having predeceased him.

Honours and legacy

Major General or Doctor Sir Frank Norris was deservedly very highly decorated for his distinguished service to medicine and the Australian people:

• Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE)
• Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB)
• Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
• Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO)
• Commander of the Order of Saint John (CStJ)
• Officer of the Order of Saint John (OStJ)
• Eficiency Decoration (ED)
• 1914-1915 Star
• British War Medal
• Victory Medal
• 1939-1945 Star
• Pacific Star
• Defence Medal
• War Medal 1939-1945
• Australia Service Medal 1939-1945
• Australian Service Medal 1945-75
• Australian Active Service Medal 1945-75
• United Nations Service Medal Korea

On 20th July 1983, the School of Army Health, Healesville, Victoria, was officially named Norris Barracks in honour of Major General Sir Frank Norris. ^[24][25] In February 1998 the Federal Government moved the School of Army Health (as part of the Army Logistic Training Centre) to Latchford Barracks, Bonegilla; with its newly refurbished building renamed the Norris Building.

Sources

1. ↑ Victoria Birth Reg #24072/1893
2. ↑ The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic: 1864-1946) Sat 15 Jul 1893 Page 41 Family Notices; accessed 19 Jan 2019
3. ↑ Australian War Memorial unit record: 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance; accessed 19 Jan 2019
4. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: 101 Sergeant Frank Kingsley Norris; accessed 19 Jan 2019
5. ↑ Australian War memorial unit record: 2nd Australian General Hospital; accessed 19 Jan 2019
6. ↑ Queen's Memorial Infectious Diseases Hospital; accessed 19 Jan 2019
7. ↑ Victoria Marriage Reg #4116/1920
8. ↑ The Argus (Melbourne, Vic: 1848-1957) Sat 26 Jun 1920 Page 13; accessed 19 Jan 2019
9. ↑ London Gazette: Frank Kingsley Norris DSO; accessed 19 Jan 2019
10. ↑ London Gazette 21 December 1943 Supplement:36297Page:5571: Colonel Frank Kingsley Norris CBE DSO; accessed 19 Jan 2019
11. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: VX221 Colonel Frank Kingsley Norris; accessed 19 Jan 2019
12. ↑ London Gazette 1 January 1952 Supplement:39433Page:137: Frank Kingsley Norris CBE OStJ DSO; accessed 19 Jan 2019
13. ↑ London Gazette 30 December 1952 Supplement:39734Page:39: Frank Kingsley Norris CB CBE DSO OStJ; accessed 19 Jan 2019
14. ↑ Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: 340000 Major General Frank Kingsley Norris; accessed 19 Jan 2019
15. ↑ [1]
16. ↑ No Memory For Pain
17. ↑ London Gazette 8 January 1957 Issue:40972Page:229: Frank Kingsley Norris CB CBE CStJ DSO; accessed 19 Jan 2019
18. ↑ London Gazette 4 Jun 1957 Supplement:41090Page:3408: Frank Kingsley Norris KBE CB DSO CStJ; accessed 19 Jan 2019
19. ↑ The Canberra Times (ACT: 1926-1995) Thu 13 Jun 1957 Page 1 HIGH HONOURS TO SENATE IN BIRTHDAY LIST; accessed 19 Jan 2019
20. ↑ Victoria Death Reg #10036/1984
21. ↑ The Age (Melbourne) 3 May 1984 p28 Death notice
22. ↑ The Age (Melbourne) 4 May 1984 p23 Funeral notice
23. ↑ The Age (Melbourne) 5 May 1984 p27 Memorium
24. ↑ 75-year-old war jeep rises from ashes; accessed 19 Jan 2019
25. ↑ accessed 19 Jan 2019

See also

• Australian War Memorial Sir Kingsley Norris; accessed 19 Jan 2019.
• Old Melbournians: Major General Sir Frank Kingsley Norris; accessed 19 Jan 2019.
• Ray, Andrew J. Norris, Sir Frank Kingsley (1893–1984). Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 2012, accessed online 19 Jan 2019.
• Wikipedia: Frank Kingsley Norris; accessed 19 Jan 2019.