The Airmen's Stories - F/Lt. S C Norris

Stanley Charles Norris was born in Tooting, London in 1919 but brought up in Sevenoaks, Kent.

He was educated at Sevenoaks Council School and Tunbridge Wells Technical Institute.

Norris joined the RAF on a short service commission in 1937. He began his initial training at 8 E&RFTS Woodley on 29th November 1937.

Norris moved on 5th March 1938 to 9 FTS Hullavington. He was awarded his wings on 1st June. With his training completed, Norris joined 29 Squadron at Debden on 17th September 1938.

He was detached to 4 E&RFTS Brough from 9th October 1938 to 10th January 1939 for a navigation course.

Norris joined 66 Squadron at Duxford on 19th September 1939 and then moved on to 610 Squadron at Wittering on 23rd October.

He married Kathleen Wileman in Sevenoaks in December 1939.

Over Dunkirk on 29th May 1940 Norris claimed a Me109 destroyed.

He probably destroyed a Me109 on 24th July, destroyed two more on the 25th, damaged a Do17 on the 29th, destroyed two Ju87's and damaged another on 14th August. Norris was appointed ‘B’ Flight Commander on 17th August and promoted to Acting Flight Lieutenant.

He destroyed a Me109 on the 24th and probably destroyed a Me110 on the 29th.

Norris was awarded the DFC (gazetted 24th September 1940).

He took part in the squadron’s first sweep on 9th January 1941, shared in destroying a Ju88 on 3rd April and then next day he was posted to 55 OTU at Debden as an instructor.

In August 1941 Norris joined 485 Squadron at Redhill as a Flight Commander. He destroyed a Me109 on the 29th. In mid-December 1941 he went to Malta, to command 126 Squadron at Ta Kali. Norris destroyed a Ju88 on the 19th and damaged others on 9th January 1942 and 10th March.

Norris was posted to Abadan, Persia on 4th April 1942 for a staff job concerned with building up defences in the oilfields. In October he was made Squadron Leader Flying 243 Wing but took command of 33 Squadron in the Western Desert on 20th November.

Norris was rested in February 1943 and went to West Africa, returning to the Middle East in June. He was posted to India in August and in September took command of 11 Squadron. It had just returned to the fighter role, exchanging its Blenheim bombers for Hurricane 11cs. The squadron became operational in December 1943 and took part in operations at Imphal.

In March 1944 Norris was promoted to Wing Commander Flying of a Fighter Wing there. He was awarded a Bar to the DFC (gazetted 23rd May 1944) and returned to the UK in early 1945.

In May Norris took command of RAF Aston Down. He was released from the RAF in September 1947 as a Wing Commander.

He became a Kings, and later a Queens, Messenger, serving as such until 1976.

He died in 1991.