Robert Walter MARSH

MARSH, Robert Walter

Service Number: WX17639
Enlisted: 12 November 1941
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 2nd/4th Machine Gun Battalion
Born: Pinjarra, Western Australia, 20 January 1922
Home Town: Pinjarra, Murray, Western Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Not yet discovered
Died: Died of wounds, Malaya, 6 April 1942, aged 20 years
Cemetery: Kranji War Cemetery
1. C. 9.
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial
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World War 2 Service

12 Nov 1941: Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, WX17639, 2nd/4th Machine Gun Battalion
12 Nov 1941: Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, WX17639, 2nd/4th Machine Gun Battalion
16 Jan 1942: Embarked Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), 2nd/4th Machine Gun Battalion, reinforcement boarded the ‘Aquitania’ with 2/4th to sail to Singapore on 16th January 1942
11 Feb 1942: Wounded Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), WX17639, 2nd/4th Machine Gun Battalion, Soldier was wounded in a Japanese ambush at South-West Bukit Timah on 11.2.1942. He stayed out with Laurence Kearney, also from ‘E’ Company until captured by the Japanese on 7 Mar 1942
7 Mar 1942: Imprisoned Wounded by gunshot wound. Not treated. Died of wounds In Changi
6 Apr 1942: Involvement Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, WX17639, 2nd/4th Machine Gun Battalion

Help us honour Robert Walter Marsh's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Rosemary Spark

Robert Walter Marsh was born Jan 20th 1923 In Pinjarra Western Australia. He had an older half sister, and seven other brothers and sisters. Tragically his younger sister Margaret died in house fire in September 1932.

His sweetheart was Una Palmer (she later took the name Marsh)

He joined up in Nov 12 1941, lying about his age. His records were updated by his family with the correct date afterwards.

He never saw his son Robert who was born July 24 1942.

Some details of wounding and death in his entry 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion website

 

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Biography contributed by Rosemary Spark

 

It appears that he showed bravery even as an eight year old  child, as the inquest for his sister says "the child was standing in front of a fire at her home out from Waroona when a coal fell from the fire and set alight to her flannelette nightgown. Her brother, aged eight years, threw his father's coat over her and called for help."  Unfortunately she dis not survive owing to "died from toxaemia, resulting from a septic infection of burns, shock and bronchial pneumonia" https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/rendition/nla.news-article251282692.txt

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