Norman Spratt, a native of Durban, Natal, was an officer of the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War who was involved in much aircraft testing at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, United Kingdom. He later served as a group captain in the Royal Air Force. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1925. On 7 December 1913, Spratt, as factory test pilot, crashed Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2a, 235, at the Farnborough Aerodrome, pilot surviving. The prototype Armstrong Whitworth F.K.3 was first test flown by Spratt in 1915.