Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

LT Herbert MARSHALL - 2039

Herbert Marshall was born in the Parish of Sutton near the Town of Ashfield in the County of Nottinghamshire, England in July 1891.[i] Herbert Marshall’s father, George Marshall, was from Old Blue Bell, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Notts, England. He and his family moved to Australia and lived in Guildford Road, Guildford, Sydney, New South Wales[ii] which was where Marshall’s childhood was mostly spent. Although the primary school/s Marshall attended are unknown, it can be inferred that he would have attended local public schools close to his residence, Guildford. As Marshall’s religion was the Church of England[iii], most of his early childhood life would have mostly been spent in Anglican churches. 

During 1905-1909, Marshall’s teenage life was mostly spent on his education where he attended Sydney Technical High School.[iv] He was later accepted into the University of Sydney where he went through two-year education training courses and was employed as a State School Teacher during his time in Australia.[v] With a passion for joining the British army, he trained in the Public school officer training corps in England for 2 years.[vi] This suggested Marshall’s early involvement and interest in military training and discipline. During this period, Marshall carried out training sufficient to allow him to be commissioned into the British army.

Herbert Marshall was enlisted in the 4th Light Horse Regiment, 14th Reinforcement on the 8th of September 1915.[vii] Upon enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force, he was ranked Private. A few months later after his enlistment, his unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board the HMAT A32 Themistocles on 28 January 1916[viii], bound for Egypt. His training in Egypt was interrupted as on the 20th March 1916, Marshall was transferred from 4th Light Horse to 1st ANZAC Cyclist Corps and five days later disembarked to Marseilles in Southern France.[ix] He was later assigned to the 1st ANZAC Cyclist Battalion on the 12th of May 1916[x], and worked as a despatch rider. Herbert faced gruelling conditions travelling by cycle on unstable terrain while under constant threat of enemy fire in battlefields and experienced extreme weather just to deliver messages between headquarters and military units. His bravery and resilience during this period provide an indication to his character during his service in the 1st Anzac Cyclist Battalion.

Marshall was appointed the rank of Lance Corporal on 31st of July 1917[xi] and later joined the School of Military Aeronautical Oxford in England on 1st of January 1918, to qualify as a flying Officer Pilot.[xii] He was appointed as a Cadet training from 28th of May 1918 while learning aviation skills, including navigation, aerial combat tactics, reconnaissance techniques, and the fundamentals of flying various military aircraft. Marshall graduated as a flying Officer on the 7th July 1918 and was promoted as 2nd Lieutenant in the Australian Flying Corps (AFC).[xiii] Exactly one month later, Marshall was promoted to Lieutenant and was assigned to command the Artillery Training Cooperation School in Leighterlon, England on 19th of August 1918.[xiv]

On the 24th of September 1918, Marshall was transferred to the 7th training Squadron in Tetbury[xv] and was then again reassigned to the no. 3 squadron to fight in the battle of St. Quentin Canal[xvi] where he and his squadron dropped smoke bombs and flew multiple rounds of reconnaissance duties in Bellicourt. The battlefront was chaotic, with the ground below a “hellscape of trenches and barbed wires” and “almost buried in dust and smoke”, “in face of machine guns” and “artillery barrage”. - J.H.L Turnbull[xvii]  Turnbull was an engine driver in the 5th Divisional Ammunition Column where he served in the Western Front, facing the horrific conditions of the battlefront. “The air was full of aircraft continuously while shooting-up the troops on the ground. The smoke of the battle below mixed with the clouds and mist above rendered flying particularly dangerous.”- A.H Cobby[xviii] Marshall likely navigated through smoke screens and frenzies of artillery bombardment, while maintaining precise coordination. The physical and mental conditions were also horrific where Marshall experienced many tiresome days where he endured long hours with little rest, while struggling with fatigue under enemy fire. His resilience and courage in aviation work clearly indicated his status as Lieutenant. Marshall’s transitional role of reassignments and expertise in flying suggested his significance in the AFC as a pilot.

Lieutenant Marshall survived the war but did not return to Australia yet.[xix] On 15 January 1919, he was in command of the 5th Brigade no. 3 Squadron AFC[xx] where they supported the Allied forces in the move to the German frontier. The Squadron mainly ran an aerial postal service between various army and corps headquarters for the AIF,. After his duties in France, Marshall rejoined the unit from command at 1st Base Supply Depot of the RAF on the 24th of January 1919.[xxi] On the 4th of March 1919 disembarked from Weymouth and boarded the Kaiser-i-Hind to Australia on the 6th of May 1919.[xxii] Despite returning to Australia, information is very limited about Marshall’s post-war life where the date and location of Marshall’s death is unknown.

References

[i] Anonymous. Herbert Marshall Records 1914-1920. National Archives of Australia, 2004, p. 1.

[ii] Anonymous. Herbert Marshall Records 1914-1920. The AIF Project.

[iii] ibid.

[iv] ibid.

[v] ibid.

[vi] Anonymous. Herbert Marshall Records 1914-1920. National Archives of Australia, 2004, p. 1.

[vii] Ibid, p. 3.

[viii] Anonymous. Herbert Marshall Records 1891-1920. The AIF Project, UNSW, Canberra.

[ix] Anonymous. Herbert Marshall Records 1914-1920. National Archives of Australia, 2004, p. 17.

[x] ibid, p. 17.

[xi] ibid, p. 17.

[xii] ibid, p. 18.

[xiii] ibid, p. 19.

[xiv] ibid, p. 19.

[xv] ibid, p. 19.

[xvi]A G Barret No.3 Squadron Records, AFC. Bellicourt, France photograph. c. September 1918 Australian War Memorial.

[xvii] J.H.L Turnbull, Diary of John Henry Llewellyn Turnbull, 1918-1919

[xviii] A. H. Cobby, High adventure (Melbourne: Robertson and Mullens, 1942).

[xix] Anonymous. Herbert Marshall Records 1914-1920. National Archives of Australia, 2004, p. 6.

[xx] ibid, p. 20.

[xxi] ibid, p. 20.

[xxii]  ibid, p. 20.

Bibliography

A G Barret No.3 Squadron Records, AFC. Bellicourt, France photograph. c. September 1918. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C206013?image=1

A. H. Cobby, High adventure (Melbourne: Robertson and Mullens, 1942) https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/LIB41831Australian War Memorial, ‘Warfare in a new dimension: the Australian Flying Corps in the First World War’ in The Australian Flying Corps https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/first-world-war-flying

DVA (Department of Veterans' Affairs), ‘After the Armistice’ in Australian Flying Corps in World War I, DVA Anzac Portal November 2022. https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/military-organisation/australian-flying-corps

Herbert Marshall Records 1914-1920. National Archives of Australia, August-September 2004. https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=8216452 

Herbert Marshall Records 1891-1920, The AIF Project, UNSW, Canberra.  https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=188293

J.H.L Turnbull, Diary of John Henry Llewellyn Turnbull, 1918-1919. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C2081810?image=95

No. 7 Training Squadron Australian Flying Corps, Australian War Memorial. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51023 

‘Warfare in a new dimension: the Australian Flying Corps in the First World War’ in The Australian Flying Corps, Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/first-world-war-flying 

1st ANZAC Cyclist Battalion Corps Troops, AIF Virtual War Memorial. https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/202 

3rd Squadron, Australian Flying Corps. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51018#:~:text=After%20the%20Armistice%20the%20squadron,air%20service%20for%20the%20AIF.

4th Light Horse Brigade, ANZAC Mounted Division; AIF Virtual War Memorial https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/45