Peter Norton, the war veteran and amputee whose ex-wife went fishing for sympathy for ditching her injured husband, may be a more capable father than his former wife suggested. While reading through the comments on the interview with Sue Norton, I noticed that a Sheffield man identifying himself as a friend of Peter Norton’s claims that the story Sue gave the Daily Mail is far from accurate. In fact, if the information provided by “a friend” is accurate, Peter is making the trip to see his boys by himself!
Here is what the man who claims to be Norton’s friend has to say:
Pete is a good friend of mine and I can confirm that this is a very one sided story and one I believe he is unlikely to read. Pete is a completely open, cheerful and independent man who does NOT require a carer, can drive and will soon be out of his wheel chair and back on his prosthetic leg again.
He adores his children and they are his life. He has tried to see his children more regularly that fortnightly but his ex-wife has refused, even when Major Norton has agreed to helpers being present.
Major Nortons ex-wife does NOT drive her boys to see their father, he drives himself every fortnight to see them as she is unwilling to travel.
- A friend, Sheffield, UK, 25/3/2010 11:04
This raises my disgust for Sue Norton, as well as my regard for Peter, to an entirely new level.
So the man has actually put in the effort to become self-sufficient, and his wife is using his injuries as an excuse not only to leave him, but to withhold his children as well. In fact, I’ll bet one of the reasons Sue Norton gave her one-sided story to the press was to ensure that she could absolutely bury any chances Peter had to get a fair custody arrangement. This is the kind of below-the-belt tactic millions of men across the Anglosphere are already familiar with, but all the more outrageous considering the circumstances.
I hope that some men in Britain can take some action to help Peter be more than a 7% dad. If Major Norton can win a fair amount of time with his boys, it would be a victory not only for him and his children, but fathers all over Britain and beyond.
Here’s a little background info on Major Norton:
At 1917 hours on 24th July 2005, a three vehicle patrol from B Company, 2nd Battalion, 121st Regiment of the Georgia National Guard was attacked by a massive command initiated improvised explosive device in the Al Bayaa District near Baghdad. The ensuing explosion resulted in the complete destruction of a patrol vehicle and the deaths of four United States personnel. Parts of the vehicle, equipment and human remains were spread over a very large area. Due to the significance of the attack, a team from the Combined Explosives Exploitation Cell, commanded by Norton, was tasked immediately to the scene. On arrival, Norton was faced with a scene of carnage and the inevitable confusion which is present in the aftermath of such an incident. He quickly took charge and ensured the safety of all coalition forces present. A short while later he was briefed that a possible command wire had been spotted in the vicinity of the explosion site.
With a complete understanding of the potential hazard to himself and knowing that the insurgents had used secondary devices before in this particularly dangerous part of Iraq, Norton instructed his team and the United States forces also present in the area to remain with their vehicles whilst he alone went forward to confirm whether a command wire improvised explosive device was present. A short while later, an explosion occurred and Norton sustained a traumatic amputation of his left leg and suffered serious blast and fragmentation injuries to his right leg, arms and lower abdomen. When his team came forward to administer first aid, he was conscious, lucid and most concerned regarding their safety. He had deduced correctly that he had stepped on a victim operated improvised explosive device and there was a high probability that further devices were present. Before allowing them to render first aid, he instructed his team on which areas were safe and where they could move. Despite having sustained grievous injuries he remained in command and coolly directed the follow-up actions. It is typical of the man that he ignored his injuries and regarded the safety of his men as paramount as they administered life saving first aid to him. It is of note that a further device was discovered less than ten metres away and rendered safe the following day. Norton’s prescience and clear orders in the most difficult of circumstances undoubtedly prevented further serious injury or loss of life.
-In the London Gazette, 2006-03-24
And, to hear it from Sue Norton, this man – recipient of the George Cross and the FBI Star – is unfit to be a father to his boys… Unbelievable.
According to all accounts, Major Norton is a dignified man who, unlike his ex-wife, respects the privacy of family, so if anyone is willing to help him, more action than words is probably in order. Perhaps fathers4justice UK can help out. I don’t know much about resources in the UK, but there must be something out there.
For my part, I’m going to declare Major Peter Norton “Hero Father of the Month.”
