Private 16633, 2nd Bn King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, was killed in action at the Battle of Ypres, Saturday 8 May 1915 aged 20. He was born in Chorley but lived at 26 Farnworth Street, Adlington and worked at Standish Bleachworks. He enlisted at Chorley with Private Frank Howard, whose Regimental number was 16632, and they left for Lancaster on 28 December 1914.
Chorley Guardian and Leyland Hundred Advertiser 2 January 1915
Two more Adlington young men, Frank Howard and James Normanton [sic] have enlisted in the Army this week. They left the district on Monday for Lancaster, having joined the King’s Own regiment. Normanton is well-known in the district as a playing member of the Adlington Football Club.
The 2nd Battalion was at Winchester as part of the 83rd Brigade, 28th Division, and embarked from Southampton for Havre on 16 January 1915.
Adlington Parish Church magazine July 1915
Pte Normington reported missing
Private Normington worked at the same place, belonged to the same battalion and was killed on the same day as Private James Smith. They are both commemorated on panel 12 of the Menin Gate at Ieper.
Private Normington is commemorated on the Adlington War Memorial, the Adlington Parish Church memorial, and on the Roll of Honour in the Regimental Chapel in Lancaster Priory.