Clifford Frederick Norton

A Private with 635th Mechanical Transport Company, Clifford died on 24th of October 1917 at the age of 30. 

Clifford was born at Lowestoft on 1 May 1887, a son of Frederick and Rosa Agnes Norton. He was baptised at Saint John’s Church on 20 May 1887 and his family lived at 3 Marsham Place. In 1891 his family lived at 58 Denmark Road, and by 1901 were living at 129 Bevan Street. Later his mother lived at 20 Gordon Road. 

In 1901 Clifford was a boarding pupil at Lowestoft College, Park Mansions, Lowestoft. By 1907 Clifford had moved to Canada, and settled in Toronto. Clifford returned to Lowestoft before the First World War and set up a fruiterers business at 4 Constitutional Buildings, London Road North. He was well known as a member of the Y.M.C.A. 

Clifford enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the Army Service Corps, service number M2/175859. By May 1917 Clifford was serving overseas. 

At some point he was posted to 635 Mechanical Transport Company in East Africa. During the war around 4,000 men served with the Army Service Corps in East Africa and around 50% of these became casualties because of tropical disease, particularly malaria. 

Clifford became ill and died at 19 Stationary Hospital, Kilwa, East Africa (Tanzania). 

In 1921 details of Clifford’s will, and particularly his bequest to Jessie Youngman, were reported in many British newspapers.