Norris, HL

Fleet Surgeon Hugh Leigh Norris

Born on April 10^th 1874, in Charmouth, Dorset, Hugh was the ninth child of medical doctor Henry Norris, and the fifth by his then wife, Emilia, who unfortunately passed away shortly afterwards. In the summer of 1888 Henry also passed away, and Hugh and one of his sisters came to London with his stepmother. He started at the College at the beginning of 1889 and was a Dulwich boy for the next two and a half years, leaving in the summer of 1892. From school he went to St. Thomas’ Hospital, studying medicine, from which he qualified in 1898. Upon qualifying he joined the Royal Navy as a surgeon, being promoted to Staff Surgeon in 1906. During this period he also wrote, and was a contributor to Punch, as well as having two books of his own published, Rice Papers and China Side.

In November 1914, shortly after the outbreak of war, Hugh was promoted to Fleet-Surgeon, and was eventually stationed on board H.M.S. Indefatigable. On 31^st May 1916, during the Battle of Jutland, she was sunk, with the loss of all but three of the over a thousand souls on board. Hugh was one of two OAs aboard Indefatigable that day, and one of three in total to lose their lives at Jutland; he was survived by his widow Nina, and their daughter, Helen.