Lat week we announced the passing from among us of Col, “Norman” Field. On Wednesday, 23rd September 2009 at 11:30 in our Parish Church of St. Gregory and St. Martin, we witnessed a service of thanksgiving for his life, work and deeds. We can think of no more fitting words to describe the vitality, charm, humanity – in a word, presence – of Norman than the eulogy delivered by his son, Richard who spoke with deep feeling on behalf of the Field family.
Lt Colonel Norman J.L. Field OBE.
29th March 1917- 10th September 2009
A Tribute By Richard Field
Norman Field ……. “A little boy with a slow engaging smile” so said his older cousin Olive Mermagen later Reynolds. (‘Little Olive’, on taking charge of him those many years ago.) This warm engagement was a typical characteristic that stayed with him throughout his eventful and very full life.
Norman, my father, was born in March 1917 in Croydon. His Father, Hassell, enjoyed sketching, was a Doctor, a Captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps serving on the Western Front at Ypres. News reached him of the birth and in celebration a shell was fired off at “The Front.” The shell case was inscribed, and returned with him in time for the christening. The christening – their only meeting. A brief poignant moment with his son.
Shortly after in September, Hassell, like so many, was killed. Norman was proud of his achievements having researched his short military life and I believe this had a marked impact on him in his youth, his own military career and the accompanied family visits to his grave in a war cemetery.
Norman’s early childhood had been spent staying with his aunts and cousins in Staffordshire and Somerset. Later his beloved mother Olive Field remarried Dr Christopher Court, another medical man, and they lived in Ilminster where Norman had a pony and learnt about country pursuits.
He was sent to prep school at Burnham- on-Sea and in 1931-35 went to Shrewsbury. Here he rose to become Oldham’s Head of House and was vice Captain of Boats and rowed at Henley.
A military career beckoned and in 1935 he attended Sandhurst where he excelled. A “Rowing Blue”, Captain of Boats at Henley and a “Company” Coach. He was promoted to a senior under officer and was on duty on the processional route at the Coronation of George V1 – shouting orders to the lines of cadets.
Commissioned into The Royal Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion, Field was based at Balisha Barracks, Shorncliffe, as Signals Officer. It was after many exercises and route marches that it all took off. War was imminent and on 1st September 1939 Germany invaded Poland. Sensing action was needed, Second Lieutenant Norman Field, with a brother officer, lunched with his commanding officer rather well and gained his permission to break Regimental rules on marriage age limits. He married our darling mother, Geraldine, that afternoon at 5.00 pm at Holy Trinity, Dover. She was the youngest daughter of Sir Arnold Gridley MP (later Lord Gridley).
In October he went to France near Arras before moving up to the Maginot Line. He was promoted to Adjutant, an important role and they fought a rearguard action back towards Dunkirk. He was exhausted and many were killed in his Battalion including his commanding officer, next to him.
Field was then wounded at La Panne and under severe bombardment was rescued from the beach. He survived Stuka air attack on board a minesweeper in Dunkirk harbour. Eventually arriving back to Sheerness and Hospital at Dartford.
Frustrated by events and on sick leave in Somerset he was visited by Peter Wilkinson, a brother officer. In Field’s own words:
“I had plenty of time to consider what I might do next. I decided that an undercover job might allow me to use my wits for a change!”
Believing that Peter might be so employed, just before I shut his car door I asked him to ‘please bear me in mind!’ Peter made no reply and his face remained blank”.
Two days later Field was summoned to Coleshill House, Berkshire and interviewed by Brigadier Gubbins of SOE. He was hurriedly passed fit, promoted to Captain, briefed and posted to The Garth at Bilting, Kent. (Now Bilting Court, in recent years it was the home and studio of the late John Ward RA.)
Here he took over command as ‘Intelligence Officer’ of Auxiliary Units from Peter Fleming, (brother to Ian of ‘007 Bond’ fame) to establish, train and operate undercover saboteurs should the Germans invade. This secret army was the inspiration of Winston Churchill. Many hideouts and patrols in Kent were to be devised by the newly promoted Captain Field.
He operated in civilian clothes except at official military meetings. Their training was top secret. If close to capture, the option open to them, including Field, was suicide rather than be taken prisoner. Top priority was given with weapons and enough hidden explosives to blow up a town the size of Ashford! At the hand-over briefing Fleming gave good advice to Field: “Only deal with Generals if you want anything!”
He soon came to the notice of General Alan Brooke Chief of Staff who was impressed by the “set up” as reported in his war time diaries.( 29th August 1941)
There were meetings with General Montgomery based at Tunbridge Wells in ’41. The first on the A20 cross roads at Lenham where on coming down the hill he viewed the small figure of Monty pacing up and down in front of a very large staff car. Field thought now I’m for it! He saluted and apologised for being late. The General responded, “No you are not! I’m always two minutes early- get in the car!”
He obviously impressed Monty following inspection of the hideouts “Has Winston seen this I’ll bring him down” said Monty. It never happened.
In Norman Field he had seen a young regular soldier with potential, a Sandhurst background and battle experience. Despite protest from Coleshill Monty insisted on him joining his own staff before attending Staff College Camberley. It was now 1942 and Major Field was in at the start of Airborne Forces and credited for his work in the formation and planning, in their official history.
As a Staff Officer to General ‘Boy’ Browning, Field was involved in operations in Italy, Sicily, Middle East and North Africa. He was recalled from Italy in late ’43 to start planning joint British and American Airborne assaults on D-Day. Planning included the successful operations at the Merville Battery and Pegasus Bridge. He had access to all the D-Day plans at St Paul’s School.
He was specifically requested by the Americans to work with them as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, in Planning. All because of his reputation.
In March 1945 Field was promoted to Lt Colonel and seconded to Lt General Ridgway, First Allied Airborne Army for the Rhine Crossing ‘Operation Varsity’. He was subsequently awarded The American Bronze Star for his meritorious service in connection with military operations in the invasion of Holland, and mentioned in Despatches.
Returning to General Richard Gale, he became his senior staff officer. He described Norman Field as having done his job magnificently, as did General ‘Boy’ Browning who said:
“He has been outstanding as a young and extremely capable staff officer with plenty of initiative and ideas and sufficient caution to back them.”
He was awarded the OBE (Military) in 1945. Field was present at the liberation of Copenhagen and was due to fly out to Burma to assist in setting up a British Airborne Corps HQ.
On the first day of his embarkation leave he experienced a life threatening stroke which stifled his progression in the Army. He retired from the Army in 1948.
Civilian desk jobs in London followed between 48-55 and did not suit. So in 1955 from a commuter life in Buckinghamshire, my mother, father, Anne and I, moved to Bilting in Kent, less than a mile from Norman’s wartime clandestine hideouts. In an orchard of a 17th Century cottage Fair Acres, he built a mushroom farm with the advice of good friend Bill Allen.
The farm provided daily supplies to Covent Garden and top restaurants. It was a hard “full on” seven days a week work, with huge support from our mother Geraldine and some wonderfully loyal staff during that 14 year period. At this time I fondly remember happy family holidays in North Wales – sailing, fishing and painting.
The discovery of his self-taught artistic ability was born out of repairing his mushroom farm machinery. He had acquired oxy-acetylene welding equipment and this started him sculpting in steel. Taking the form of people, birds and plant life, exhibiting at the City of London Guildhall Art Exhibition.
Sales were high for a new artist and purchases went overseas. In ‘69 his work of “Rugby Players” was selected as one of sculptures representing British artists at the Second Biennale of Sport and the Fine Arts in Madrid. Acceptance by six National Art Societies in their London exhibitions gave him confidence to venture into Cork Street where the John Whibley Gallery took him on and gave him a ‘one-man show’ in June 1970.
Work was previewed in the art world press and on a BBC2 art programme. Norman’s art diversified into painting in watercolour and with Geraldine welcomed the Bilsington Art Group to paint the views at Fair Acres on White Hill. The Group were generous with their companionship and he was an active and much loved member for over 25 years, frequently selling at local exhibitions.
Fair Acres became full time maintenance and with the passing of years, it was decided to move in 1997 to a smaller house in Wye, eventually to Church Street where Norman and Geraldine lived. She sadly died in 2001.
They were both cared for by Sheila Shepherd and for several years by Pauline Wells who did so much . Anne and I thank her for her dedication to our parents to the end.
In December 2006 Norman moved to Brambles Residential Home in Wye. At times troubled in health, but looked after with care and compassion, continuing his painting and providing vivid war time memories of events to a procession of historians and authors.
Norman was immensely proud of his grand children Sarah, Kate, James and Christopher. As children, all enjoyed the “Pramobile”. a Go-Cart ‘with attitude’. A typical Field creation made out of a pram, an old hospital trolley with bellclanger, You see, he saw much use and artistic qualities in old scrap iron! The property was full of it!
He also much loved and enjoyed his great grand children’s paintings.
He warmly engaged with many village friends in the streets of Wye and proudly, wearing his red beret, laid the wreath of poppies on behalf of the village on Remembrance Sunday in 2008.
His sense of humour to the end whilst requesting to see my latest paintings of the Camel estuary and dark coastline remarked “That looks like a Russian Submarine!” I’m sure he was joking?!
I was immensely proud and interested in what he achieved in his life.
He loved and was loved by many, an inspiration -an example of bare courage, fortitude and dedication which so many of his brave generation displayed. He will be sadly missed by us all but never forgotten. His name in books and his art will see to that! May God bless him!
Richard Field
23 September 2009
