Norman was born on 13 May 1922 in Liverpool to Philip and Rachel née Cohen. Norman was the youngest of seven children, Golda, Simon, Abraham, Cicely, Frank and Dora. Their father Philip worked as a house painter and decorator and Simon and Frank were ship painters. Norman enlisted into the RAF at Padgate in 1940.

Norman was the wireless operator on Lancaster NE125 which departed from RAF Fiskerton on an operation to Braunschweig. The aircraft was shot down and was claimed by Oblt. Karl-Heinz Seeler of 5./JG302 (Wilde Sau) as his 2nd Abschuss at 01.00hrs over Hagen. All the crew were killed.

A/G, Frederic Allan Newell Clifton, 142062
Pilot, Philip Rodney Graves-Hook, 172589
Nav, William George Wesley Johnson, RCAF J/24698
F/E, Ernest George Jones, 1651532
A/G, George Henry Little, 1451930
A/B, Francis Edward Sinden, 139840