Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of John Norton of 8, Cropston Road, Anstey, Leics., and the husband of Amy Norton. The War Diary for today records. Diary of Operations between 21st March 1918 inclusive
At 4.30am. the enemy put down a heavy barrage gas shell bombardment of phosgene and mustard gas on the whole Battalion area and on the gas position in rear. This gradually developed into heavy concentrations of high explosive and shrapnel on the whole of our defences. The bombardment lasted until about 9.30am. Most of the wire in front of our position front line was destroyed but the wire in front of FIR SUPPORT and the RED LINE was left nearly intact under cover of a very thick mist combined with smoke and dust from bursting shells the enemy was able to cross ‘no mans land’ without being observed. About 9.30am the enemy entered PLANE TRENCH and 2nd Lt. JAREY who was officer commanding of the observation party left in that trench had only just time to give the S.O.S. signal before the enemy reached him. 10.00am. The enemy had apparently broken through the front lines of the Battalion on our left and at this hour small parties attacked the northern post MCPHEE and PEIZIERE and got into the RAILWAY CUTTING behind the RED LINE. The detached position of MCPHEE POST was captured about 6 men taken prisoners. At about this hour “C” Company and the Tank were ordered to counter attack and clear PEIZIERE up to the RAILWAY CUTTING. The Tanks proceeded round the northern end of the village and “C” Company by the two roads running north east and east from MCLEAN POST. The village was easily cleared. The enemy retiring from the village and cutting on the approach of the Tanks. One of the men taken prisoner in MCPHEE POST rejoined the Battalion. 11.00am. On receipt of information that the village was clear “C” Company and the Tanks were withdrawn to their original positions. During the whole of the day the enemy made many futile attacks from the north east on the FIR SUPPORT and the RED LINE attempting to bomb down the latter from new SQUASH TRENCH which he had entered early in the attack. The defence of FIR SUPPORT was conducted by 2nd Lt. WRIGHT with about 20 men against numerous bombing attacks in one of which flammenwerfer were used but these were stopped on our wire by rifle fire and the cylinders catching alight the enemy were burnt with there own weapons. Good work was done by the whole of this platoon and particularly by Pte. HICKIN who on 2 or 3 occasions walked along the parapet firing a Lewis gun from his hip at the enemy concentrating in the trenches on the flanks. Pte. HICKIN was eventually killed in making one of these attacks. This platoon held out until dark when with only 6 men left it was ordered to fall back on the RED LINE. In the afternoon the enemy could be seen massing just south of VAUCELLETTE FARM and in LINNET and THRUSH VALLEYS and the large bodies were advancing up ANDREW STREET and LEITH WALK. 5.00pm. The two Tanks were ordered up to the bridge and scattered the enemy massing in ANDREW STREET. 6.00pm. The enemy continued to make progress southwards from VAUCELLETTE FARM and small parties were getting into PEIZIERE. The counter attack Company and the two Tanks were ordered to clear the village. The Tanks and two platoons moving round the northern outskirts and 2 platoons by road running north east from MCLEAN POST. The village was cleared by 8.00pm. and 5 prisoners sent back. As the left flank of the RED LINE seemed insecure 2 platoons from the counter attack Company were ordered to make a defensive flank facing north from the RAILWAY CUTTING to MCPHEE POST this flank was prolonged by a party of 1 officer and 14 other ranks from Battalion HQ. which occupied a trench at the junction of the sunken road just north of Battalion HQ. the remainder of the counter attack Company concentrated at MCLEAN POST. Battalion HQ. was established in YELLOW LINE. The enemy did not attack during the night. Touch was kept the whole of the day with the 8th LEICESTERSHIRE REGT. on our right, but there was a serious gap on the left until about 12 midnight when connection was obtained with the 15th DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY on our left in the YELLOW LINE.