Trafford

Born on the 12th October 1890 during the December quarter 1890 in the
Ashton under Lyne R.D. - ref: 8d/455, the son of George Henry & Jessie
Firth (nee Hallitt).

1891 Census - 93 North Road, Droylsden, Manchester.   Son - aged: 5 months
- born: Manchester.  Head of household - George H. Firth - Married - aged:
35 - occ: Mechanical Engineer - born: Halifax, Yorkshire.   Also Jessie
Firth - Wife - aged: 28 - born: Huddersfield, Yorkshire.  Plus 2 elder
siblings, a maternal Gr. Grandmother and 1 domestic servant.

1901 Census - 35 Carlyle Terrace, Bradford, Yorkshire.  Son - aged: 10 -
born: Manchester.   Head of household - George H. Firth - Married - aged:
45 - occ: Consulting Mechanical Engineer (self employed from home) - born:
Halifax, Yorkshire.   Also Jessie Firth - Wife - aged: 38 - born:
Huddersfield, Yorkshire.  Plus 2 siblings and 1 domestic servant.

On the 12th October 1908, Norman signed on at Portsmouth for 12 years
service in the Royal Navy.  He was 5 feet 4 inches in height - had dark
brown hair - blue eyes and a fresh complexion.  He had a scar on his left
forefinger.   His naval career commenced at HMS Fisgard, a RN Shore Base
used to train Artificers and Engineers.  He qualified as an E.R.A on
01/01/1910 and remained there until the 18th January 1910.   His ship
service comprised:-
HMS King Edward VII (Dreadnought Battleship) - from 19/01/1910 to
25/11/1910.
HMS Victory (105 gun wooden Battleship - In 1910 the Society for Nautical
Research was created to try and preserve her for future generations) Norman
served for only 3 days on her - 26 to 28/11/1910
HMS Crescent (Portsmouth Division of Home Fleet 4th Cruiser Squadron
1909-13) - from 29/11/1910 to 30/12/1910.
HMS Victory - from 31/12/1910 to 03/04/1911 (The 1911 Census was held on
the night of the 2nd and 3rd April 1911).

1911 Census - 94 Kings Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire.  Head of household -
aged: 20 - occ: Engine Room Artificer in Royal Navy - born: Clayton,
Manchester.   Also resident was a Helen Hanbridge - Boarder - aged: 20 -
born: Lofthouse, Yorkshire.  Also her daughter - Olive Hanbridge - aged: 5
months - born: Eccles, Lancashire.  I think it reasonable to assume that
helen was his common law wife as I have been unable to find any Hanbridge
marriages that fit, nor even a birth record for Olive.

HMS Hampshire (Devon Class Armoured Cruiser - Lord Kitcher was killed on
her when she was sunk in 1916) - from 04/04/1911 to 08/08/1911.
HMS Fisgard (RN Shore Base at Portsmouth) - from 09/08/1911 to 04/09/1911.
HMS Sappho (Apollo Class Cruiser, converted to a Minelayer) - from
05/09/1911 to 04/10/1911.
HMS Philomel (Pearl Class Cruiser) - from 05/10/1911 to 22/10/1913.  
During the early stages of the First World War she performed convoy escort
duties and then carried out operations in the Mediterranean against the
Turks. She later conducted patrols in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf]
HMS Victory - from 23/10/1913 to 31/12/1913.
HMS Hazard (Dryad Class Torpedo Gun Boat) - from 01/01/1914 to 07/04/1915.
HMS Dolphin (Shore Base - RN Submarine Training School at Gosport) - from
08/04/1915 to 18/04/1915.
HMS Arrogant (Arrogant Class Cruiser serving as the Fourth Submarine
Flotilla Depot Ship ) - from 19/04/1915 to 01/07/1915 when he was killed.

For 2½ years he was stationed on H.M.S. Philomel and took part in the gun
running expedition to the Persian Gulf.   During that time he was the only
person on board to escape the fever, peculiar to that area.   An
enthusiastic sportsman and captain of the cricket, football and polo
teams.
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class.  Attached to a British Submarine (actually
a depot ship).

Accidentally killed at Dover when he fell over the Dover Dockyard wall. 
Cause of Death - "Misadventure".   Buried at Dover on 06/07/1915, his
funeral was attended by 200 men from the various battleships stationed in
the locality.

Death reported in the 09/07/1915 edition  of the Altrincham Guardian.