Signalman Douglas J Norbury

Douglas James Norbury was the son of James and Marie Norbury, of Collyhurst, Manchester. He enlisted in the Border Regiment, and volunteered for Airborne forces.

Signalman Norbury successfully completed parachute training at RAF Ringway on course number 124 from 10 to 22 July 1944 and was posted to J Section, 1st (Airborne) Divisional Signals, Royal Corps of Signals, and took part in Operation Market Garden (Arnhem).

Sgmn Norbury was killed in action on 19 September 1944, age 21, when he was in the upper floors of a house by the Arnhem road bridge that was hit by a mortar bomb. Although other British soldiers escaped from the ensuing fire, it was not possible to reach him, and the house was burned out that night. Douglas is presumed to have perished in the blaze (Roll of Honour, 5th revised edition, 2011) and is commemorated on the Groesbeek Memorial to the missing.

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