Drummond, Norman Brougham
294 Gunner Norman Brougham Drummond - 36th Heavy Artillery Group
Norman was born on the 12th March 1895 in Perth WA to Maurice and Mabel Drummond and was one of five siblings born into the family.
After being educated in Perth Norman continued with his cadet training, being a member of the Citizens Military Forces. He wanted to continue this fulltime and joined the Royal Australian Garrison Artillery in 1913. He was then based at the Artillery Barracks in Burt Street Fremantle and was used to man the Fremantle defences at sites such as Fort Forrest in North Fremantle.
Initially when the Great War began, the permanent Gunners were not permitted to enlist, however this would soon change. On the 1st June 1915 Norm and many of the other Permanent Gunners at Fremantle were permitted to sign up for service overseas.
Norm was passed as fit for service, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 11 & 1/2 inches;
Weight - 140lbs;
Chest Measurement - 34-37 inches;
Complexion - Ruddy;
Eyes - Blue;
Hair - Red.
The Gunners who enlisted in WA were then sent to Victoria where the other Artillerymen of the Permanent Forces were gathering. On the 17th July 1915 Arthur and the others of the original Australian Siege Brigade departed from Port Melbourne aboard the transport ship HMAT Orsova which took them to England.
However prior to their departure, the men were marched through the streets of Melbourne, as seen below (Published in the Australasian 24th July 1915)
After arriving in England in September 1915, the men were disembarked and sent to the Artillery training Depot. They were initially stationed at Lydd, then Taunton in Somerset where they spent the Christmas of 1915.
The men were then organised into the 54th and 55th Batteries of the 36th Heavy Artillery Group. Norman was allotted to the 55th Battery.
On February 27th 1916 Norm, as part of the 55th Battery, arrived at Boulogne France. They spent three days here and on March 7th left with their guns and travelled to Mont St Eloy near Arras where they went into billets. On March 16th 1916 the men of the 54th & 55th Battery of the Siege Brigade suffered their first casualties when the Germans shelled their billets at Mont St Eloy. Three of the Gunners were killed and fourteen were wounded. Fortunately Norm escaped unscathed.
The Gunners gained experience of the Western Front through April to June 1916. In July 1916 the 36th Heavy Artillery Group supported the British and Australian infantry in the Somme offensive in what was a busy time. They remained in this sector for the next several months.
In November 1916 Norm was temporarily detached for duty to the Siege Artillery Park. He was there for a few weeks but rejoined his unit on the 15th December 1916.
However Norm was not there for long, and on the following day was detached to Signal School. He seems to have passed this course and rejoined his unit in January 1917.
Norm's unit were then situated near Bouzincourt on the Somme battlefield providing fire support to the front line. In March 1917 Norm was promoted to Bombardier. They were in this sector through to early April 1917. During this time Norm was sent to a Wireless course held at a Royal Flying Corps base. This course was of a few weeks duration and he appears to have passed the course.
In April 1917 Norm's unit moved north to near the Belgian border. They would then provide fire support for the Australian and British soldiers at Ploesgsteert in Belgium.
Herbert's Battery was also kept busy through June and July 1917 with the Battle of Messines and the opening phase of the Third Battle of Ypres. On the 5th August 1917 Norman was given two weeks leave to England, returning on the 19th August 1917. The Third Battle of Ypres was then in full swing and they provided fire support for infantry operations from August to November 1917.
Norm came through this time unscathed and in late November the 36th HAG moved to France to support infantry operations in the Battle of Cambrai supporting the British offensive and then defending against the German counter attack.
The 55th Battery then returned to Belgium for the next few months over the 1917/18 winter.
On the 21st March 1918 the Germans launched their Spring Offensive which broke through the British lines further south. The following day Norm was near a German gas shell when it exploded, causing some gas poisoning. He was evacuated to the 5th Field Ambulance and was treated for gas poisoning and laryngitis. Norm was then sent to the 7th General Hospital at St Omer.
Fortunately the gas poisoning was not severe and after a week Norm was released from hospital and sent to the 7th Convalescent Depot Camp at Boulogne and four days later was then transferred to the 10th Convalescent Camp at Ecault. He spent four more days there and was returned to the Artillery Base Depot at Le Havre on the 10th April 1918. Norm would spent the next seven weeks at the Base Depot Camp.
Since he had left the 55th Battery, much had happened, the Australian Infantry divisions had been sent south to the Somme region where they helped stop the German advance down there. The 36th Heavy Artillery Group was therefore one of the few Australian units still in Belgium when the Germans broke through the British lines in Belgium. Several guns had to be hurriedly withdrawn as the Germans made a rapid advance.
The guns withdrew into northern France where they could begin firing on the Germans. From May through to July 1918, they were in position in Northern France providing fire support around Merris and Meteren. So when Norm rejoined them they were in northern France. On the 6th July 1918 Norm was detached for temporary duty with the 2nd Army Signal School, rejoining his unit on the 17th August 1918.
From August 1918 onwards the 55th Battery were then supporting the British infantry advancing in northern France and Belgium.
On the 8th September 1918 Norm was granted a fortnight's leave to the UK. He returned on the 23rd September 1918 but three days after arriving back Norm reported ill. He was sent to the 136th Field Ambulance and was diagnosed with scabies. Norm was then sent to the 64th Casualty Clearing Station.
Unfortunately Norm had also now developed influenza which was then rampant. He was sent to the 2nd Australian General Hospital and was a patient here for several weeks. Norm was still here when the Armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918. He was slowly recovering and on the 25th November 1918 was released from hospital.
Norm rejoined the 2nd Siege Battery on the 1st December 1918. He did not remain there ling as on the 10th December 1918 he was sent to Signal School where he was put on the teaching staff. He remained at this School until the 24th February 1919.
Norm then returned to the Battery but on the 17th March 1919 he was transferred to England where he was sent to Codford Camp. He would now wait to be assigned a berth on a transport ship home. On the 27th April 1919 Norm boarded the transport ship Runic and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 8th June 1919.
After being disembarked Norm was sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital in Fremantle. It was found that he was still suffering from slight effects from the influenza but otherwise was given a clean bill of health.
Norm was discharged from the AIF on the 22nd August 1919.
Norm did not return to the Permanent Army. He took up work as a warehouseman and was residing at Dean Street in Claremont. During the early 1920's Norm was also studying to become a chemist.
Norm married in 1928 in Cottesloe to Elsie May Rees and a son Maurice born in 1929.
They resided in Dean street Claremont and Norm was now working as a chemist. They lived locally until the late 1930's when his work as a chemist took the family to Gnowangerup. Norm lived here till he retired in 1963.
During his time at Gnowangerup Norman became head of the RSL branch.
Norman died on the 11th October 1964 in Cottesloe WA. He was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery.