This week we continue to highlight the Finley High School project, which encourages Year 10 history students to research a family member or local person who served in either World War I or World War II.
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This meaningful project allows students to connect with personal stories and develop a deeper understanding of the past through the lens of real lives and experiences.
This week we bring you the story of Norman Keith Wilson, a nose gunner in the B-24 Liberator.
The author is his great granddaughter, Lucy Pyle.
•••
Norman Keith Wilson (Norm) was born on December 25, 1925, in Cobden Victoria. Norm was the second eldest son of eight children to Donald and Eileen Wilson.
In his early years, Norm often lived with his grandparents, Jack and Mary Savage.
He attended Cobden State School then Camperdown Higher Education school but shortly left at the age of 14½.
After leaving school, Norm milked cows at Mr Pilkingtons.
In 1940, Norm began working at the Cobden Cheese & Butter Factory Company Limited. He worked in the Casein drying room, which was very hot.
Norm then moved into the test room, where the milk and cream brought in by farmers was tested for butter fat content.
After four years of working at the factory, he enlisted in the RAAF.
Norm enlisted in Melbourne for World War II, on March 10, 1944.
He was 18 years and two months old when he enlisted.
Norm was 5ft 11in (180cm) and 142lb (64kg). His chest measurement was 32cm, and 35cm expanded.
Norm had hazel eyes and 20/20 vision. He had a medium complexion and light brown hair and listed his religion as Presbyterian.
He began his training at Somers, then went to Ballarat for a wireless operator course.
But he didn’t finish that course as he was posted to the air gunners’ course at West Sale.
When Norm finished his course, he worked at RAAF headquarters and was then posted to Tocumwal for a conversion course on the Liberator Bomber aircraft.
The course consisted of gun and turret operation, and gunnery and bombing practice.
The Liberator aircraft crew had 11 bods, including a pilot, co-pilot, navigator, engineer, wireless operator, radar operator, nose gunner, bombardier, mid-upper gunner, belly turret gunner and tail gunner. Norm was the nose gunner.
As the nose gunner of the aircraft, he shot at whatever threat came at the aircraft.
The turret he sat in was a very cramped space, with a diameter of 106cm.
It contained two .50 caliber M2 Browning machine guns, ammunition and the gunner’s seat, but not his parachute.
On the completion of this course, he was posted to 21 Squadron, with service in Darwin and Morotai.
On this operational tour, he and his squadron mainly covered convoys and flew coastal patrols.
They also dropped supplies to prisoners of war camps that were scattered throughout the islands.
For this operation, he received campaign medals including a 1939-45 War Medal, a Pacific Star - War Medal, a 1939-45 Service Medal and later, in 1975, he received a 1945-75 Service Medal.
Norm was involved in a conflict, but there is no known information about it, and Norm never wanted to talk about what happened.
On December 13, 1945, Norm was discharged from service, just prior to his 20th birthday. He returned to work in Cobden at the butter factory.
He married Jean Condie in 1947, and a year later they started to grow their family.
Barry, their eldest son, was born in 1948, followed by Heather (my Nan), then Joan (dec), and lastly Bob.
Between the years 1954-55, he went to the Victorian Government School of Dairy Technology at Werribee, which he attended three months of the year.
The course had many different subjects related to dairy manufacturing that consisted of practical and theory work.
After finishing his course, he was appointed butter maker at Cobden Cheese & Butter Factory Company Limited.
After two years, Norm and his family moved to Dumbalk, Victoria, where he took the position of butter factory foreman. Eventually, Norm got promoted to product manager.
In 1961, he accepted a position as butter factory foreman at Finley’s Berriquin Dairy Co., then later transferred to manage their cheese factory in Deniliquin.
Norm soon returned to work in Finley due to Murray Goulburn closing the cheese factory.
In 1966, Norm travelled to New Zealand with the Society of Dairy Technology, where he toured a number of dairy factories.
Norm moved to Mirboo, Victoria in 1968 and after two years of being the production manager of the factory in Mirboo he gained a position with the Victorian Department of Agriculture, as dairy produce inspector.
In 1985, Norm retired and moved his family back to Finley. His wife Jean died in 2015 at the age of 93.
In retirement, he became involved in the Finley Bowling Club, holding the titles of board of management & secretary (seven years), senior vice president, maintenance and gardener (27 years) and a life member.
Norm volunteered and played bowls up until his very last days.
In 2024, Norman Keith Wilson passed away peacefully at 98 years old, in his 99th year. Norm is buried in the Finley Cemetery next to his wife.
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