Marsh, Norman 'Swampy'

Norman John (Swampy) Marsh

Norman John March, Swampy or Swamp to his mates was born in Kerang on 27 July, 1921. He loved life, football, cycling, swimming and played trumpet in the Municipal band.

With the outbreak of WWII he enlisted in the RAAF. Starting as a stores clerk he progressed to Leading Aircraftman. He headed for Canada under the Empire Air Training Scheme graduating in October, 1942 as Sergeant Pilot. Training as an instructor within a year he was Flight Sergeant and Pilot Officer by July, 1943. After a stint on Hurricanes he converted to the Rolls Royce of fighter planes the Spitfires joining 453 Squadron in England.

453 Squadron was on of the first and only RAAF Squadrons operating on the ground in Europe during the Normandy invasion and Swampy was one of the first group of 453 pilots to operate Spitfires into Germany.

27 September, 1944 Swampy was one of 5 Spitfires which encountered approximately 50 enemy aircraft. Swampy shot down one of the 4 which were hit. On 20 March, 1945 under enemy fire Swampy's Spitfire was hit and he ditched into the sea. While 453 Squadron mounted a rescue mission it was not successful and after 36 hours in the water Swampy drifted ashore and was captured by the Germans and after initial hospitalisation was transferred to POW camp for airmen near the Baltic Sea. Liberated twice, once by the Russians which was a restricted liberty and then again by the Americans by this time Swampy was glad to be back in Australia.

He left the RAAF as a Flight Lieutenant and continued his aviation career in civilian life by joining Australian National Airlines in March 1946. He flew DC3s and 4s until 1953. During this time he met and married Roma and the ensuing years they had 4 children while living in different Asian countries. In 1953 while working for Burma Airways, he was literally at the pioneering edge of aviation in Asia, He joined Cathay Pacific in 1954 and stayed with them until 1973.

On returning to Australia he continued in aviation going from operations to bureaucracy as an examiner of airmen for the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA).

In aviation Swampy experienced the full range of flight and varying degrees of comfort from flying 'warbirds' like the Hurricane and the Spitfire, the DC3s to the first twin-engine wide-body aircraft the Airbus A300 and in 1975 flew for the DCA as an industry observer on the Concorde from Melbourne to Singapore and back.

Swampy was a Renaissance man, he excelled in sport, in his profession and in his personal pursuits. He was successful on so many levels because he was a good and kindly person, supportive and thoughtful to everyone who came into his life. His indomitable spirit. He didn't see challenges he saw only opportunities and never gave up on anything even when the odds were stacked up against him. Family was his bedrock and his legacy is the wonderful family who are here to honour him.

Jessica Marsh - part of a poem inspired by her aviator grandfather

... Climbing slowly up into the sky.

Time momentarily hung, Unmoving,

Until small clouds washed over the nose,

And time stared once more

The full, bright moon,

Ever constant in its cycle Glowed in the east,

And slowly sank out of view...