Alfred William James Norkett

Flight Lieutenant Alfred William James Norkett — The Last Military Burial of 1943

Early Life

The final military burial to take place at St. Hilary’s Churchyard, Killay, in 1943, was that of Flight Lieutenant Alfred William James Norkett.

Alfred James Norkett and Margaret Emily Keeby
marriage certificate
parish church of Harbridge, Southampton

Alfred was born in 1912 in Pokesdown, Hampshire, the eldest son of Alfred James Norkett and Margaret Emily Keeby, who had married in 1909 at the parish church of Harbridge, Southampton. His father spent his life at sea and later joined the coastguard service, which meant the family lived a life often marked by postings around the British Isles and Ireland.

1921 Census

By the 1921 Census, the Norkett family were based at the H.M. Coastguard Station, Greenore Point, County Louth, Ireland. Alfred James, then 42, was a coastguard; Margaret, aged 36, managed the household. Their three young children were Alfred William (8), Irish Margaret (7), and Catherine Louisa (5). Growing up in such a household, Alfred would have been familiar from an early age with the rhythms of maritime service and the sense of discipline and responsibility it required.

Marriage and Civilian Life

By the time of the 1939 Register, Alfred William was an adult, and later that year, in the autumn of 1939, he married Clara Ann Jones in Aylesbury. Their marriage coincided with the outbreak of the Second World War, a time when the future of Britain was profoundly uncertain.

Military Service

London Gazette

In 1941, Alfred who had enlisted in the Royal Air Force. His aptitude and commitment soon earned him recognition, and he was mentioned in the London Gazette, a distinction that marked him out for his service. Promoted to Flight Lieutenant, Alfred was attached to the Coastal Command Development Unit (CCDU).

The CCDU was a highly specialised and innovative unit. While much of the RAF was engaged in combat operations, the CCDU worked behind the scenes to develop, test, and refine new weapons and tactics for use by Coastal Command. Their work was crucial in Britain’s battle against German U-boats, which were sinking merchant shipping at an alarming rate and threatening to starve Britain into submission.

Some of the unit’s most important projects included:

• Radar development: refining airborne radar so that submarines could be detected from the air at night or through clouds.
• The Leigh Light: a powerful searchlight fitted to patrol aircraft such as the Wellington, Liberator, and Halifax, which could illuminate U-boats caught on the surface at night after being detected by radar. This invention turned night into day, robbing submarines of their greatest defence.
• Anti-submarine weapons: trialling improved depth charges and ordnance delivery methods, ensuring attacks were more accurate and devastating.
• Tactical innovation: testing new patrol patterns, coordination between air and naval forces, and techniques for shadowing and destroying U-boats in all weather conditions.

Personnel at the CCDU were often experienced officers and specialists, men chosen for their skill and adaptability. Their work was hazardous: experimental flights, new equipment, and dangerous trials meant that accidents were a frequent risk. Though rarely in the headlines, their contribution directly shaped the Battle of the Atlantic, saving countless lives by reducing Allied shipping losses and ultimately helping secure Britain’s survival.

To have been posted to the CCDU shows the level of trust placed in Alfred Norkett and his colleagues. They were at the cutting edge of aerial maritime warfare, pushing technology and tactics into new territory.

Death and Burial

Alfred William James Norkett
St. Hilary church, Killay
credit - findagrave

On 29^th October 1943, Flight Lieutenant Norkett died at Woodbine Hospital, Pembroke, aged only 31. The exact circumstances of his illness or injury are not preserved in surviving records, but his loss came during a period of intense experimentation and operational pressure within Coastal Command.

Following his death, his body was returned to Swansea, where he was buried with full military honours at St. Hilary’s Churchyard, Killay. His grave marked the final military burial of 1943 at St. Hilary, which by then had already become the resting place of servicemen from across Britain, the Commonwealth, and allied nations.

Legacy

The legacy of Flight Lieutenant Alfred William James Norkett is entwined with that of the Coastal Command Development Unit. Although their work did not make front-page headlines, the technologies and tactics they pioneered shifted the balance of the war at sea. The successful deployment of radar and the Leigh Light in 1942–43 saw U-boat losses rise dramatically, transforming the Battle of the Atlantic from a near disaster into an Allied victory.

Alfred William James Norkett
East Dean War Memorial
credit - findagrave

His sacrifice is remembered not only in Wales but also in his home community. Alfred’s name is inscribed on the East Dean War Memorial, ensuring his memory is honoured in both places. For his widow, Clara Ann, their marriage cut short after just four years, his death was a personal tragedy. For history, it is a reminder of the many who served in specialist and often unseen roles, whose contributions were no less decisive to the Allied victory.

At St. Hilary, his grave closes the roll of 1943 burials, standing as a final marker of a year of sacrifice, and as a testament to a young officer whose quiet but vital work helped safeguard Britain in its hour of need.