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A veteran interview with

Betty Norton

As part of their training, Betty used to have to try to lose a tail!

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About Betty Norton

En route from France to England in 1942, a chance encounter with two American SOEs in Ireland led Betty Norton to join the FANY (First Aid Nursing Yeomanry). After training as a coder she was sent to serve as a WT operator in North Africa, where she worked in blistering heat and sometimes for 16 hours at a stretch. In her interview, Betty shares fascinating insights about her life and work during service, and the constant innovations needed to keep coded messages secure.

After falling ill with malaria and jaundice, Betty was sent back to France where she could continue working closer to home, and she recalls the difficulties and unhappiness of life under occupation. When the war finally ended, Betty was demobbed in France but it wasn’t until she returned to London that she experienced the true relief of freedom.

Credits

Interviewed by:
Ailsa Camm, Martyn Cox
Reviewed by:
Caroline Barratt

Copyright:
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Home | Veterans | Betty Norton

A veteran interview with

Betty Norton

betty2

As part of their training, Betty used to have to try to lose a tail!

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https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/betty-norton/

Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Norton, Betty. A Veteran Interview with Betty Norton. Interview by Ailsa Camm. Legasee, n.d. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/betty-norton/. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
APA Style:
Norton, B. (n.d.). A Veteran Interview with Betty Norton [Interview by Ailsa Camm]. Legasee. Retrieved May 25, 2025, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/betty-norton/
Chicago Style:
Norton, Betty. n.d.. A Veteran Interview with Betty Norton. Interview by Ailsa Camm. Legasee. Accessed May 25, 2025. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/betty-norton/
Harvard Style:
Norton, B. (n.d.). A Veteran Interview with Betty Norton. [Interviewed by Ailsa Camm]. Legasee. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/betty-norton/ (Accessed: 25 May 2025)
Vancouver Style:
Norton, B. A Veteran Interview with Betty Norton [Internet]. Interview by A. Camm. Legasee; n.d. [cited 2025 May 25]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/betty-norton/
An interview with

Andree Dumon

Andrée Dumon was a Comète escape line organiser and courier who was arrested by the Germans.

Andrée Dumon's first encounters with evaders were exciting because she realised the danger she was putting herself in. Working full-time for the Resistance, she guided English soldiers across the Pyrenees Mountains. Nearing her 20th birthday she was arrested with her parents in Brussels but refused to divulge information despite German police threats. Her bravery and  determination were crucial attributes during her imprisonment. Following her 1942 capture, her sister Michou took her place in the Resistance, showing similar characteristics. After her 1945 liberation, she battled typhus in an English hospital, again displaying remarkable resilience. Andrée reflects on her experiences during the D-Day landings and post-war involvement with the English.
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Service:
Interviewed by:
Martyn Cox
An interview with

Gill Lewis

From car enthusiast to master codebreaker, Gill Lewis travelled the world demonstrating great utility while serving in the FANY.

Gill Lewis shares her fascinating journey, serving many roles in the FANY towards the end of World War II. Being a car enthusiast, Gill first joined the FANY after receiving her driving license and assisted in many of their transport operations. Marrying at a young age, her circumstances would send her away from the FANY to Cairo. However, an invasion by the Germans was coming and she was offered the chance to go to South Africa, leaving her husband behind. Coming from a family with a naval background, Gill was no stranger to moving around a lot. In South Africa, she continued to volunteer as a driver for transport assignments. She recalls how during the war, petrol needed to be rationed, meaning you couldn't travel too much. However, this did not hinder the fun she had on these expeditions. Eventually, she returned to England where she reapplied to the FANY. This time, she went to Chicheley Hall where she was given a choice between coding or wireless telegraphy - she chose the former. During the course, she discovered she had a flair for coding which brought the attention of Leo Marks who summoned her for one-to-one tuition. Later on, in a crafty move, Marks sent her to the far east for active service, believing she was in need of a challenge. It was here that her coding skills were put to the test. Her job was to decipher cluttered messages from those who found themselves in desperate situations. She remembers the importance of discriminating and fixing any mistakes the messengers might have made and to avoid relying on assumptions. Her skillset would earn her the nickname 'Mark's wonder girl'. Gill loved coding but when asked later in life why she didn't join the foreign office for the same job during peacetime, she explains how it lacked the same level of urgency and resourcefulness which made it satisfying. Gill's story is a salient example of the rewarding experience achieved by people who are willing to challenge themselves.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martyn Cox
An interview with

Anthony Pitt

Commander of the RFA ship Percivale recalls the Falklands war in detail

At the start of the Falklands War, Anthony Pitt commanded the Royal Fleet Auxiliary [RFA] Percivale, a Round Table class landing ship logistics (LSL), earning the Distinguished Service Cross for his exceptional service.
Raised in Hornsey, North London, his passion for sailing led him to the merchant navy, where he started an apprenticeship in 1956 and achieved command at 40. He describes the Percivale's vital role, from replenishment operations to accommodating Chinese crew members. Initially learning about the conflict while golfing in Zeebrugge, he recounts arming the Percivale at Ascension and the scepticism about the war’s likelihood. The ship was crucial in offloading troops at Red Beach and aiding the Atlantic Conveyor. Anthony faced challenges like limited communications and morale-boosting activities. The Percivale was the first ship into Port Stanley, a key moment in the conflict.
Reflecting modestly, Anthony highlights his crew’s survival and his earned Distinguished Services Medal [DSM].
Photo Gallery icon 6 Photos
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker