Norman was born on 20 October 1922 in Southwark, London to Benjamin who was born in Grodno, Belarus and Leah nee Abrahams who was born in London and he had two older sisters Beattie and Doris. In 1939, the family ran a millinery shop at 252 Walworth Road in Southwark and both Norman and his sisters worked in the business.

Norman enlisted into the Royal Artillery and fought in the Burma Campaign. He is listed as being killed in action and has no known grave. He is commemorated on the Rangoon Memorial in Burma and on his parent’s grave at Willesden Jewish Cemetery.