George Marsh (c.1882-1917)

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An ongoing project to commemorate and research the lives of those who appear on war memorials and rolls of honour in the local area, who served in the military, or whose deaths were linked to conflict.

Huddersfield's Roll of Honour: 1914-1922

The following extract is from Huddersfield's Roll of Honour: 1914-1922 (2014) by J. Margaret Stansfield:

MARSH, GEORGE. Private. No 15678. 1/6th Battalion Duke of Wellington's Regiment. Son of Joseph and Mary E. Marsh. Lived Dunford Road, Underbank, Holmfirth. Employed firstly at Washpit Mills, Holmfirth and then for Messrs Haigh, plasterers. Enlisted just before Easter 1915. Was wounded in October, 1916, and came home on sick leave. Killed on 5.8.1917, aged 35, by a shell falling on his dugout. Buried COXYDE MILITARY CEMETERY. Grave location:- Plot 2, Row D, Grave 10.
His sister, Miss M. E. Marsh, received the following letter from the Second Lieutenant of her brother's platoon who wrote, 'As the Officer in charge of your brother's platoon I have a very sad duty to perform in telling you of his fate yesterday. I was with him and part of my Lewis gun section. Five of us were sheltering from heavy shell fire in a dugout when a shell hit it square. When I recovered my senses I found I was alive and untouched and also one of the men by a miracle. All the dugout had been burst in over your poor brother and the other two so when we crawled out we ran for some Engineers and shovels and worked like mad at clearing it up. Eventually, after three quarters of an hour we dragged out the top man, a Corporal, alive. After another ten minutes we reached your brother and his friend. The poor fellows must have been killed instantenously, that is a small consolation. They could not have felt any pain as it was all over at once. I am afraid you will think a letter like this is one of words only. It isn't and I want you to realise how keenly we feel his loss here. He was always a most trusty man, a good, obedient soldier and a true comrade to all the other boys in the platoon. Your brother and thousands of good men like him were fighting for you all in England and since he has made the biggest sacrifice possible please try and carry on the fight he put up.'
ROH:- Underbank War Memorial.

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