Nickname(s) Ducky Service/branch Canadian Army Awards Military Medal & Bar Rank Lance corporal | Allegiance Canada Years of service 1915-1918 Name Henry Norwest | |
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Born 1 May 1884
Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta ( 1884-05-01 ) Battles/wars First World War
Vimy Ridge
Battle of Amiens Died August 18, 1918, Fouquescourt, France Unit 50th Battalion (Calgary), CEF Battles and wars Battle of Vimy Ridge, Battle of Amiens, World War I | ||
Henry Norwest MM & Bar (1 May, 1884 – 18 August, 1918) was a distinguished Canadian sniper in World War I.
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Early life
Norwest was born in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta on 1 May, 1884. A former ranch hand and rodeo performer, he served for a short time with the Royal Northwest Mounted Police until January 1915 when he joined the Canadian army. He initially enlisted as Henry Louie but was discharged just three months later for misbehaviour. Norwest then re-enlisted under a new name of Henry Norwest.
Military career
In his nearly three years of service with the 50th Canadian Infantry Battalion, the lance corporal achieved a documented sniping record of 115 fatal shots. While Norwest was an outstanding marksman, the thing that set him apart from others was his superb stealth tactics and his expertise in the use of camouflage. As a result of his exceptional abilities his superiors frequently sent him on reconnaissance missions into "No Man's Land" or behind enemy lines.
In 1917, Norwest earned the Military Medal during the Battle of Vimy Ridge and the following year he was awarded the bar to his Military Medal. Only three months before the war ended, Norwest was on a mission to find a German sniper's lair when he was killed by the enemy sniper.
His Ross Rifle is currently on display at The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC) Museum, part of The Military Museums in Calgary. It is the second of three rifles that he used and was brought back to Canada by his spotter. The last rifle that Norwest carried was rumoured to have been taken by the German sniper who killed him on 18 August, 1918 near Fouquescourt, Somme, France.
Personal life
Nicknamed Ducky, Henry Norwest was Metis of Cree/French origins from the Hobbema reserve in Alberta. Married and the father of three children, he is buried in the Warvillers Churchyard Extension Cemetery, Warvillers, Somme, France.