Joseph John Norris – Royal Marines

Marine Joseph John Norris – Royal Marines

Joseph John Norris was born in 1921 in Swansea, the son of William John Norris and Elizabeth Roberts, who had married in 1913 in Swansea. Although no census records survive for Joseph, he appears on the 1939 Register, which provides the only detailed glimpse of his civilian life before enlistment.

1939 Register

1939 Register

In 1939, the Norris family were living at 49 Mount Pleasant, Llwchwr, Swansea. Joseph’s father, William J., was recorded as a Tinman in the Tinworks, and listed as a widower. Another William J. Norris—likely Joseph’s elder brother—was employed in the Tinworker Finishing Department. Rothe P., undertaking household duties, was also present in the home. Joseph himself, aged eighteen, was recorded as a Coal Haulier Mate (Above Ground), working within the local coal industry that shaped much of Llwchwr’s labour landscape.

Military Service

Joseph enlisted in the Royal Marines, serving as a Marine during the Second World War. His service record is sparse, but his role placed him within one of Britain’s most demanding and versatile military branches, operating across naval, amphibious, and land‑based duties.

Death and Burial

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records

According to the British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, Joseph died on 19 November 1942 from injuries sustained in a road accident at Doncaster. His body was returned home to Swansea and laid to rest at St. Barnabas Church, Waunarlwydd, where his grave forms part of the community’s wartime memorial landscape.