1/5th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment
Norman is the middle boy in this school photograph
Norman Sollars was born on 2 July 1898 to Samuel and Mary who were living in Far End, Sheepscombe. Samuel was a gardener at Skippetts and the path across the common to Skippetts was known as Sam Sollars path. Norman went to Sheepscombe School from April 1902.
Norman enlisted in the Devonshire Regiment and in 1918 his battalion was in Kantara. They boarded ship on 24 May in Alexandria and left Egypt for Europe on 26 May. The War Diary whilst in harbour states: casualties 1 other rank disembarked Alexandria 25th sick. It is possible that this refers to Norman being taken ashore to hospital.
A telegram received on 19 May said Norman was dangerously ill and another telegram received ten days later said: … he passed away on 28th after an operation for appendicitis. Norman was one of Sheepscombe’s youngest soldiers and was only 19 last September. He went to Egypt in the October, had seen the Turks at uncomfortably close quarters, already had some hairbreadth escapes to recount and was looking forward to the hot months as a time when he would not be called upon to make such strenuous exertions.
Private Norman Sollars died on 28 May 1918, aged 19, and is buried in Kantara War Memorial Cemetery, Suez, Egypt.
Taken from The Wayside Cross published by the Sheepscombe History Society