Pte
Walter Alfred Marsh
Informatie over geboorte
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Geboortejaar: 1898 |
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Geboorteplaats: Folkestone, Kent, Engeland, Verenigd Koninkrijk |
Informatie legerdienst
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Land: Ierland, Verenigd Koninkrijk |
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Strijdmacht: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rang: Private |
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Service nummer: 41174 |
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Dienstneming plaats: Folkestone, Kent, Engeland, Verenigd Koninkrijk |
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Eenheden: — Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, 7th Bn. (Laatst gekende eenheid) |
Informatie over overlijden
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Datum van overlijden: 30/08/1917 |
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Plaats van overlijden: Reservelazarett III Hamburg, Abteilung F, Hamburg, Vrije en Hanzestad Hamburg, Duitse Keizerrijk |
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Doodsoorzaak: Died of wounds (D.O.W.) |
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Leeftijd: 19 |
Begraafplaats
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Hamburg Ohlsdorf Cemetery (Friedhof Ohlsdorf) Plot: I Rij: D Graf: 1 |
Onderscheidingen en medailles 2
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British War Medal Medaille |
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Victory Medal Medaille |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Geboorteplaats | ||
| #2 | Dienstneming plaats | ||
| #3 | Plaats van overlijden (bij benadering) |
Mijn verhaal
Private Walter Alfred Marsh served in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 7th Battalion, part of the 49th Brigade, of the 16th Irish Division.
The Division participated in the Third Battle of Ypres, also known as the Battle of Passchendaele. It was to attack in the early hours of the 16th of August 1917. They attacked with the 48th Brigade on the right of the divisional front and the 49th on the left. The attack of the 49th was carried by the 8th Inniskilling Fusiliers on the right and the 7th Inniskillings on the left. The 36th (Ulster) Division advanced on the left flank of the 7th Inniskillings.
The Fusiliers had already seen action between the 6th and the 10th of August, which had greatly minimised the fighting strength of the Battalion. On the evening of the 14th-15th August the Battalion nevertheless moved forward into its preparatory positions at the Frezenberg Ridge. At zero hour 04.45 a.m. a heavy allied barrage came down on the German positions and the attacking parties rushed forward. The German artillery replied only five minutes later with an equally heavy barrage, but the men had already left the jump-off lines and rushed the German machinegun emplacement in Beck House.
By 5.05 a.m. the Battalion had reached their allotted positions on the “Green” Line. The Ulsters on their left appeared to be going strong. However the advance on the right did not appear satisfactory. At 5.30 a.m. the attack was still going strong. But the situation shifted around 5.50 a.m. The Ulsters were still advancing in the direction of the German strongpoint at Gallipoli Farm, although not so strongly. The 7th Inniskillings advanced to Delva Farm, but the 8th Inniskillings on their right were held up by German machinegun fire in the vicinity of Borry Farm. Many wounded came back from the line. They stated that German machinegun fire was causing heavy casualties, but that the attack was still going steady. However this was far from true.
The advance of the 8th Inniskillings had been checked in front of the German strongpoint at Borry Farm. On the left flank the Ulsters were withdrawing, unable to capture Gallipoli. An extra company was sent up to assist the 8th in taking Borry Farm, but this attempt also failed. Meanwhile the 7th Inniskillings captured Delva Farm. They took up positions round the Farm, when they suddenly came under fire from pillboxes in their rear, which they had failed to mop up.
At 9.21 a.m. a message was sent to the Brigade Headquarters that the 7th Innsikillings had been forced to retreat. They were unable to hold their positions and had suffered heavy casualties. At 9.40 it was reported that men were seen retiring along the whole Brigade’s front. About an hour later most troops were back on the jump-off line. The Brigade had captured a large part of their objectives, including Delva Farm, but were unable to hold them. They had failed to take Borry Farm and to mop up vital German pillboxes in their rear. The situation became impossible when the Ulsters on the left and the 48th Brigade on the right gave way to German counterattacks.
At 1.30 p.m. orders were handed out to launch a new attack on Borry Farm. However the order was cancelled later in the day, as the strongpoint was to heavily defended and the attacking parties had sustained too much casualties. The 8th Inniskillings were in a line round 100 yards in front of Borry Farm, suffering heavy casualties due to sniper and machinegun fire. The 7th Inniskillings formed a line in front of Beck House. Second Lieutenant Armstrong of the 7th came back from Beck House round 3.15 p.m. He reported that many wounded, German and Irish alike, were still lying at Beck House. As the Battalion was forced to retire they left many heavily wounded behind. According to the Battalion fourteen men and three officers were wounded and missing. They ones who didn’t succumb to their wounds were taken prisoner by the Germans, while taking back the field. Their wounds were treated in the German hinterland and those strong enough were taken to a hospital or Prisoner of War camp in Germany.
Private Walter Alfred Marsh was taken prisoner during the attack on Beck House and Delva Farm on the 16th of August 1917. He was heavily wounded. The Germans sent him to Germany for advanced treatment. Nevertheless Walter Alfred Marsh died from a gunshot wound in the thigh on the 30th of August 1917. He died in Abteilung F of the Reservelazarett III in Hamburg. He was subsequently buried at Hamburg Cemetery.
The Division participated in the Third Battle of Ypres, also known as the Battle of Passchendaele. It was to attack in the early hours of the 16th of August 1917. They attacked with the 48th Brigade on the right of the divisional front and the 49th on the left. The attack of the 49th was carried by the 8th Inniskilling Fusiliers on the right and the 7th Inniskillings on the left. The 36th (Ulster) Division advanced on the left flank of the 7th Inniskillings.
The Fusiliers had already seen action between the 6th and the 10th of August, which had greatly minimised the fighting strength of the Battalion. On the evening of the 14th-15th August the Battalion nevertheless moved forward into its preparatory positions at the Frezenberg Ridge. At zero hour 04.45 a.m. a heavy allied barrage came down on the German positions and the attacking parties rushed forward. The German artillery replied only five minutes later with an equally heavy barrage, but the men had already left the jump-off lines and rushed the German machinegun emplacement in Beck House.
By 5.05 a.m. the Battalion had reached their allotted positions on the “Green” Line. The Ulsters on their left appeared to be going strong. However the advance on the right did not appear satisfactory. At 5.30 a.m. the attack was still going strong. But the situation shifted around 5.50 a.m. The Ulsters were still advancing in the direction of the German strongpoint at Gallipoli Farm, although not so strongly. The 7th Inniskillings advanced to Delva Farm, but the 8th Inniskillings on their right were held up by German machinegun fire in the vicinity of Borry Farm. Many wounded came back from the line. They stated that German machinegun fire was causing heavy casualties, but that the attack was still going steady. However this was far from true.
The advance of the 8th Inniskillings had been checked in front of the German strongpoint at Borry Farm. On the left flank the Ulsters were withdrawing, unable to capture Gallipoli. An extra company was sent up to assist the 8th in taking Borry Farm, but this attempt also failed. Meanwhile the 7th Inniskillings captured Delva Farm. They took up positions round the Farm, when they suddenly came under fire from pillboxes in their rear, which they had failed to mop up.
At 9.21 a.m. a message was sent to the Brigade Headquarters that the 7th Innsikillings had been forced to retreat. They were unable to hold their positions and had suffered heavy casualties. At 9.40 it was reported that men were seen retiring along the whole Brigade’s front. About an hour later most troops were back on the jump-off line. The Brigade had captured a large part of their objectives, including Delva Farm, but were unable to hold them. They had failed to take Borry Farm and to mop up vital German pillboxes in their rear. The situation became impossible when the Ulsters on the left and the 48th Brigade on the right gave way to German counterattacks.
At 1.30 p.m. orders were handed out to launch a new attack on Borry Farm. However the order was cancelled later in the day, as the strongpoint was to heavily defended and the attacking parties had sustained too much casualties. The 8th Inniskillings were in a line round 100 yards in front of Borry Farm, suffering heavy casualties due to sniper and machinegun fire. The 7th Inniskillings formed a line in front of Beck House. Second Lieutenant Armstrong of the 7th came back from Beck House round 3.15 p.m. He reported that many wounded, German and Irish alike, were still lying at Beck House. As the Battalion was forced to retire they left many heavily wounded behind. According to the Battalion fourteen men and three officers were wounded and missing. They ones who didn’t succumb to their wounds were taken prisoner by the Germans, while taking back the field. Their wounds were treated in the German hinterland and those strong enough were taken to a hospital or Prisoner of War camp in Germany.
Private Walter Alfred Marsh was taken prisoner during the attack on Beck House and Delva Farm on the 16th of August 1917. He was heavily wounded. The Germans sent him to Germany for advanced treatment. Nevertheless Walter Alfred Marsh died from a gunshot wound in the thigh on the 30th of August 1917. He died in Abteilung F of the Reservelazarett III in Hamburg. He was subsequently buried at Hamburg Cemetery.
Bronnen 3
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7 Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers , (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/1977/2 ). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303 Verdere verwijzing |
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Cooper Walker G.A., The Book of The Seventh Service Battalion The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers From Tipperary to Ypres, (Dublin, Brindley & Son Printers, 1920), pg. 114-121. Gebruikte bronnen |
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McCarthy C., The Third Ypres Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Arms & Armour Press, 1995), pg. 48-49. Gebruikte bronnen |
Meer informatie 2
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/902483 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/2928091 |