Major Geoffrey Gordon Norton enlisted in early 1945 as an entry for the Indian Army, subsequently cancelled due to Partition. He was then selected to attend the first Regular Officer Cadet Course after The War at The Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst (Intake 1-1947/48

He was commissioned into The Middlesex Regiment (DOC). 57th Foot, joining them for Public Duties in London 1948/49. (London Gazette 20 August 1948 as 2Lt) and sailed with them for Hong Kong in 1949 and then to Korea in 1950/1 when the 1st Battalion joined 27th Brigade as Britain's initial contribution to the UN Forces. He commanded the Machine Gun Platoon throughout this period. 

On return to the UK after a year as Adjutant of the Regimental Depot he volunteered for service with The Airborne Forces and joined 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment (3 PARA) for duty in the Middle East (Canal Zone 1952/54).

Geoffrey successfully passed parachute jump instruction at RAF Abingdon on Course 350. This course ran between 7 February and 7 March 1953. He was listed as being a member of "Depot R.A. Woolwich". 6 Officer and 69 Other Ranks were also trained on this course. 

Returning to the Middle East again in 1956 for the EOKA Campaign in Cyprus (commanding Support Company 3 PARA), he also took part in the airborne assault on the El Gamil airfield during the Suez crisis (Op. Musketeer) in November 1956.

Returning to Cyprus with 3 PARA he rejoined the Middlesex Regiment (DCO) in 1957-also in Cyprus for the EOKA Campaign- on completion of his airborne tour and was Mentioned in Despatches in 1958. 

A tour in BAOR followed and in 1960 he volunteered for a Colonial secondment with the Nigerian Army in the course of which he served three tours totalling some 18 months with the UN Forces in the Congo.

In 1960 he was decorated by the Austrian  Government with the Silver Order of Honour for Austria (Silberness Ehrezeichen) for a operational rescue of Austrian UN personnel held captive by mutinous Congolese Forces, and received Her Majesty's warrant to wear the decoration on all occasions. 

In 1964 he served as a Training Officer to a Territorial battalion followed by a tour with the Regular Battalion in Northern Ireland, which included an emergency tour in British Guiana (Guyana) before and after Independence in 1966. 

In 1967 he rejoined the airborne forces an served subsequently with 2 PARA, as a Second-in-Command, Depot The Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces, where he established the new Airborne Forces Museum. He was Curator from 1967 to 1974. He was also Regimental Recruiting Officer at RHQ PARA. 

During his period as Curator he wrote a history of British Airborne Forces 1940-70, embracing the development of RAF support, air supply and formation of The SAS in addition to operations in WW2 and Post War theatres. Published by Leo Cooper as part of the 'Famous Regiment' series, the book was brought up to dates by the issues of a second edition in 1984 to include chapters on Northern Ireland and the Falklands Conflict. 

In 1970 on the induction of the Middlesex regiment into the large Queen's Regiment, he volunteered and was accepted for transfer into the Regular Cadre of The Parachute Regiment. 

In 1974 he became the Officer Commanding, The Parachute Course Administrative Unit at RAF Abingdon and later when the Unit moved, to RAF Brize Norton in 1976.

In 1978 he was appointed Trustee of the Airborne Forces Museum and in 1980 was made a Freeman of The City of London. 

He retired on 1 May 1982 after 37 years on active list taking up a Retired Officers Appointment at RHQ PARA.