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Trooper Norman OKell
Description
TitleTrooper Norman OKellAlternative NameOkellSummaryA soldier in World War One. DescriptionNorman was a new settler having been born in Chester, England. He was born 6 October 1891, son of John C and Emma Okell of Chistleton. He was one of the taller soldiers standing 5ft 9in tall with a fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. He had a distinguishing feature, a small mole on back of his neck. Prior to enlistment he was a farm labourer for P. Keller, Ryans Road, Yaldhurst.
Norman enlisted on 17 December 1914 at Trentham and was assigned to the 4th Reinforcements, Canterbury Mounted Rifles. He embarked with them for Suez on 17 April and after time in Egypt arrived at Gallipoli on 13 August. He was reported missing, killed in action on the 28th, aged 23. As with others killed this day he was part of the attack to consolidate Hill 60, with the Canterbury Mounted Rifles forming the first wave. Norman’s name is recorded on the Hill 60 Memorial to the Missing, Gallipoli. He is remembered on the Springston War Memorial.
Hill 60 (Kaiajik Aghyl, or Sheepfold of the Little Rock), on the 60 metre contour line, is the end of a range which runs south-eastward to Hill 100 between Kaiajik Dere and Asma Dere. Hill 60 (New Zealand) Memorial is situated in Hill 60 Cemetery, which lies among the old trenches. The eight month campaign in Gallipoli was fought by Commonwealth and French forces in an attempt to force Turkey out of the war, to relieve the deadlock of the Western Front in France and Belgium, and to open a supply route to Russia through the Dardanelles and the Black Sea. The Allies landed on the peninsula on 25-26 April 1915; the 29th Division at Cape Helles in the south and the Australian and New Zealand Corps north of Gaba Tepe on the west coast, an area soon known as Anzac. On 6 August, further landings were made at Suvla, just north of Anzac, and the climax of the campaign came in early August when simultaneous assaults were launched on all three fronts. At the beginning of August 1915, Hill 60, which commanded the shore ward communications between the forces at Anzac and Suvla, was in Turkish hands. On 22 August, it was attacked from Anzac by the Canterbury and Otago Mounted Rifles, followed later by the 18th Australian Infantry Battalion and supported on the flanks by other troops. It was partly captured and on 27-29 August, and the captured ground was extended by the 13th, 14th, 15th, 17th and 18th Australian Infantry Battalions, the New Zealand Mounted Rifles, the 5th Connaught Rangers, and the 9th and 10th Australian Light Horse. The ground was held until the evacuation in December. The Hill 60 Memorial is one of four memorials erected to commemorate New Zealand soldiers who died on the Gallipoli peninsula and and whose graves are not known. This memorial relates to the actions at Hill 60. It bears more than 180 names. Hill 60 Memorial lies among the trenches of the actions of Hill 60. It was made after those engagements, and enlarged after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from Norfolk Trench Cemetery and from the battlefield. There are 788 burials and commemorations in the cemetery. 712 of the burials are unidentified, but special memorials commemorate 34 casualties known or believed to be buried among them.First NameNormanLast NameO'KellFamilySingleSon of John C and Emma Okell of ChistletonDate of Birth6 October 1891Place of BirthOld Hall, Littleton, ChesterDate of Death28 August 1915Place of DeathGallipoliCause of DeathKilled in actionAge at Death23
Norman enlisted on 17 December 1914 at Trentham and was assigned to the 4th Reinforcements, Canterbury Mounted Rifles. He embarked with them for Suez on 17 April and after time in Egypt arrived at Gallipoli on 13 August. He was reported missing, killed in action on the 28th, aged 23. As with others killed this day he was part of the attack to consolidate Hill 60, with the Canterbury Mounted Rifles forming the first wave. Norman’s name is recorded on the Hill 60 Memorial to the Missing, Gallipoli. He is remembered on the Springston War Memorial.
Hill 60 (Kaiajik Aghyl, or Sheepfold of the Little Rock), on the 60 metre contour line, is the end of a range which runs south-eastward to Hill 100 between Kaiajik Dere and Asma Dere. Hill 60 (New Zealand) Memorial is situated in Hill 60 Cemetery, which lies among the old trenches. The eight month campaign in Gallipoli was fought by Commonwealth and French forces in an attempt to force Turkey out of the war, to relieve the deadlock of the Western Front in France and Belgium, and to open a supply route to Russia through the Dardanelles and the Black Sea. The Allies landed on the peninsula on 25-26 April 1915; the 29th Division at Cape Helles in the south and the Australian and New Zealand Corps north of Gaba Tepe on the west coast, an area soon known as Anzac. On 6 August, further landings were made at Suvla, just north of Anzac, and the climax of the campaign came in early August when simultaneous assaults were launched on all three fronts. At the beginning of August 1915, Hill 60, which commanded the shore ward communications between the forces at Anzac and Suvla, was in Turkish hands. On 22 August, it was attacked from Anzac by the Canterbury and Otago Mounted Rifles, followed later by the 18th Australian Infantry Battalion and supported on the flanks by other troops. It was partly captured and on 27-29 August, and the captured ground was extended by the 13th, 14th, 15th, 17th and 18th Australian Infantry Battalions, the New Zealand Mounted Rifles, the 5th Connaught Rangers, and the 9th and 10th Australian Light Horse. The ground was held until the evacuation in December. The Hill 60 Memorial is one of four memorials erected to commemorate New Zealand soldiers who died on the Gallipoli peninsula and and whose graves are not known. This memorial relates to the actions at Hill 60. It bears more than 180 names. Hill 60 Memorial lies among the trenches of the actions of Hill 60. It was made after those engagements, and enlarged after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from Norfolk Trench Cemetery and from the battlefield. There are 788 burials and commemorations in the cemetery. 712 of the burials are unidentified, but special memorials commemorate 34 casualties known or believed to be buried among them.First NameNormanLast NameO'KellFamilySingleSon of John C and Emma Okell of ChistletonDate of Birth6 October 1891Place of BirthOld Hall, Littleton, ChesterDate of Death28 August 1915Place of DeathGallipoliCause of DeathKilled in actionAge at Death23
Connections
CollectionSoldiers of Selwyn World War OneImageSpringston War MemorialMore InformationAuckland War Memorial Cenotaph
Military Service
Memorial or CemeteryHill 60 Memorial to the MissingSpringston War MemorialOccupation before EnlistingLabourer Regiment or ServiceCanterbury Mounted RiflesEnlistment Details17th December 1914 at TrenthamService Number7/994Reinforcement4th ReinforcementsCountryNew Zealand
Attribution
Researched ByL. M. Seaton
Trooper Norman OKell. Selwyn Stories, accessed 21/01/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/349
