Lieutenant-Colonel E.A.M. Norie
2nd Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment

After we had spent the best part of an hour crouching behind the bank, listening intently for the rumble of approaching tracked vehicles in the lane, I received a message from the adjutant … He added the sad news that Lieut-Colonel Norie, our immensely popular CO, had been severely wounded while visiting one of the forward companies … Our battalion had had an unfortunate day. Apart from the CO, who died of his wounds before be evacuated to England, we had suffered about 100 casualties, including some of our most dependable junior officers and NCOs.

(Anthony Babington, An Uncertain Voyage [2000], 193)

Born on 21 March 1908 in Surrey, Evelyn Arundel Medows Norie was commissioned into the East Yorkshire Regiment in 1930. After serving as battalion adjutant, he transferred to the King’s Own Regiment with a promotion to captain in 1937. He was the son of Indian Army colonel Evelyn William Medows Norie (1862-1915) and the son-in-law of General Sir Hugh Jamieson Elles (1880–1945).

Norie passed staff college and served as a deputy assistant adjutant general with the War Office On 18 March 1944, Norie succeeded Lieutenant-Colonel W.H.R. Ray in command of 1st Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment. After much training and preparation, the unit went into action on D-Day, landing on Gold Beach with the 50th Division.

During the attack on Le Hamel on 6 June, the CO personally lead his men forward and received the D.S.O.: “Lt-Col Norie’s courage and leadership were quite outstanding, his example so inspiring his whole battalion that in spite of heavy losses they carried all before them.”

The award would, however, be posthumous. On 19 June 1944, he was badly wounded by mortar fire and succumbed days later. He was succeeded by Lieutenant-Colonel J.E.F. Willoughby, formerly of the 2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment.