caption serviceyears branch death_place death_date birth_place unit image_size awards battles birth_date placeofburial rank image article_title name
depiction of the siege of sebastopol 1853 - 1865 23px british army salford , lancashire 13 march 1896 1832 warrington , lancashire 7th regiment of foot 275 30px victoria cross crimean war umbeyla campaign 1832 weaste cemetery , salford corporal the battle of sebastopol.png william norman
 william norman
william norman

william norman vc -lrb- 1832 -- 13 march 1896 -rrb- was an english recipient of the victoria cross , the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to british and commonwealth forces .
he was born in warrington , lancashire and enlisted as a private in the 7th regiment of foot -lrb- later the royal fusiliers -rrb- of the british army on 15 may 1854 .
during the crimean war the following deed took place for which he was awarded the vc .
on 19 december 1854 at sebastopol , in the crimea , private norman was placed on single sentry duty some distance in front of the advanced sentries of an outlying picquet in the white horse ravine , a post of much danger and requiring great vigilance .
the russian picquet was posted about 300 yards in front of him , and three russians came reconnoitring under cover of the brushwood .
private norman single-handed , took two of them prisoner without alarming the russian picquet .
he was decorated by queen victoria in hyde park on 26 june 1857 .
he later served in the umbeyla campaign on the north-west frontier in 1863 and achieved the rank of corporal .
he left the army in 1865 .
he died on 13 march 1896 in salford , lamcashire and was buried in a common grave at weaste cemetery , salford .
he was married with three children .
his victoria cross and other medals are displayed at the royal fusiliers museum in the tower of london , england .
