Norman was born in 1919 in Whitechapel, London to Edward and Sara Cherrie née Bell (Belinsky). Norman married Barbara Tetley in April 1943 in Knaresborough, Yorkshire and their daughter Michelle was born four months after his death.

Norman’s father Edward served in WW1, initially in the Army and he then transferred to the RAF as an air mechanic in 1918. In 1939, the family were living at 154 Edgware Way, Hendon and Norman’s father Edward was working as the manager in a paper factory.

Norman was the navigator in Lancaster PB195 which departed RAF Fiskerton on a night operation to St Leu D’Esserent. The aircraft crashed on the outbound route between Gourchelles and Romescamps. It was the crews 17th operation. The crew were:
F/O H.F. Dod Pilot
F/E, Sgt V.A. Keen
Nav, F/S N. Gordon
W/Op A/G, Sgt L Horner
A/G, Sgt B R Scott
A/B, F/S J L Cox
A/G, P/O J R Truscott, RCAF