One of around 20 local volunteers that died before embarking for overseas.
Most succumbed to the effects of disease contracted in camp, predominantly during an outbreak of cerebro-spinal meningitis in July and August of 1915, but Norman John Embelton met with a fatal accident when he fell from his horse in Epping-road, Preston just days after resigning from a permanent position with the Navy at HMAS Cerberus to join the A.I.F.
Embelton joined the Royal Australian Navy at the end of 1912 as a Paymaster’s Clerk on 12 months’ probation at HMAS Cerberus. According to the Leader, he had been to England and visited important admiralty dockyards and returned in one of the new Australian cruisers, and had seen action with the Navy as a midshipman and pay master in New Guinea and the Pacific Islands, but had been returned to Australia to recover from the effects of malarial fever.
A brother, Dr. David Moore Embelton embarked as a Captain of the 2 Australian General Hospital with the first shipment of troops on 28 November, 1914. He was promoted to Major in November, 1916, and his outstanding service saw him twice Mentioned in Despatches, firstly in November, 1916 and again in April, 1918, before had the honour of being made a member of the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E) on 1 January, 1919.
Embelton’s name was listed among the deceased on the All Saint’s Northcote Honour Board in 1917, and both the Preston and South Preston schools in 1919. The family were at 75 Westgarth-street, Northcote at the time, but previously at 12 Hotham-street – the father Robert was employed by the Education Department, and given the earlier Hotham Street address, it seems probable that he was teaching at South Preston while Norman was a pupil.
Link to the history of Norman John Embelton
Link to ozsportshistory.com downloads for WW1
