Geburtsjahr: 1890

Geburtsort: Clyst St. Lawrence, Devon, England, Vereinigtes Königreich

Beruf: Landwirt / Bauman / Ökonom

Land: England, Vereinigtes Königreich

Truppe: British Expeditionary Force

Rang: Gunner

Dienstnummer: 216145

Einberufung ort: Exeter, Devon, England, Vereinigtes Königreich

Einheiten:  —  Royal Field Artillery, "D" Bty. 150th Bde.  (Letzte bekannte Einheit)

Sterbedatum: 02/08/1917

Sterbeort: Wieltje, Sint-Jan, Belgien

Todesursache: Im Kampf gefallen

Alter: 27

British War Medal Medaille — 19/05/1920

Victory Medal Medaille — 19/05/1920

Gunner William Joseph Marks served in “D” Battery of the 150th Army Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery.
The Army Brigade participated in the Third Battle of Ypres. On the 20th of July 1917 it took up positions near the Dead End of the Yser Canal in Ypres. Its headquarters were based on the Ypres ramparts. From here the Batteries of the Brigade shelled German positions in wake of the offensive.
On the 31st of July, the first day of the offensive, the Batteries of the Brigade limbered up and vacated their positions at the Dead End. They took up new positions near the hamlet of Wieltje, possibly along the Oxford Road. The HQ of the Brigade was located at the Cart Dugouts. At 08.30 a.m. the Brigade was in position and started supporting the British advance. Throughout the next couple of days there was much artillery activity on both sides. During the month of August the Potijze road, Bellewaerde and the area of Wieltje were regularly shelled by the German artillery.

Gunner William Joseph Marks was killed in action near Wieltje on the 2nd of August 1917. Although artillery activity had been less frequent than on the previous days, it’s highly possible that Gunner William Joseph Marks fell, due to German shelling. He was buried in Vlamertinghe New Military Cemetery.

Dawlish World War One Project http://dawlishww1.org.uk/soldiers/gunner-william-joseph-marks/ Verwendete Quellen

Divisional Troops: 'D' Battery Royal Field Artillery , (The National Archives, KEW 5TNA), WO 95/5133/8). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303 Weitere Quellen

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/142820

Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=beadd142-c119-4e1f-aa4d-c530f1c8f76b

Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/2918285