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Auction: 25002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 49

The well-documented campaign group of four awarded to Warrant Officer W. Marshall, Royal Air Force, who was shot down in 1944 and initially evaded escape, being sheltered by the Picourt network only to eventually be captured

Interned at the infamous Buchenwald Concentration Camp, he later transferred to Stalag Luft III, site of the 'Great Escape', eventually being liberated by the Guards Armoured Brigade in 1945

1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, France and Germany clasp; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, mounted as worn, missing its retaining pin, sold together with a large original archive including Caterpillar Club Membership Card, identity tags and Service & Release Book, very fine (4)

Wilifred Marshall was born at Manchester on 16 January 1922 and enlisted with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on 23 June 1941. Qualifying as a Flight Engineer he was advanced Flight Sergeant (Engineering) and posted to No 12 Squadron, Path Finder Force. Flying on Lancaster IIIs he saw a total of 20 Operational Sorties between 1941 and 1944.

Taking off from Wickenby to attack the German Railway Yards and Orleans on 4 July 1944 they were shot down. The six man crew suffered heavy losses, four of them were killed outright: B. E. Vipond, H. Idle, J. Pewing and F. A. Forster were all buried in Orlean Main Cemetery. Flight Sergeants Getty and Turner were both taken prisoner of war immediately, however Marshall was able to avoid detection. An article in the Burnley Express & News provides further detail:

'Bombing mission that ended in Buchenwald

Above all, Wilf Marshall was a silent wartime hero, a quiet, self-effacing man who kept his hair-raising war experiences strictly to himself, apart from one or two very close friends. Behind the brief "served with the RAF during the war" lies a larger than life story of alleged espionage, torture and concentration camp suffering. I knew him well, virtually throughout his police career, and was proud to call him a friend. But it was only after his tragic death that I learned from one of this very close colleagues former police officer Mr Frank Meredith of his dramatic wartime service.

Shot Down

I am grateful to Mr Meredith for the following details of one of Burnley's wartime heroes. As if numerous Bomber Command stories were not enough, Wilf became the only surviving member of a Lancaster shot down over southern France while on one of those bombing missions. It was probably not the first time he had survived such an incident. He was a member of the Caterpillar Club, a certification issued by the American-based Irvin Parachute Company to anyone whose life was saved by using one of their chutes. It was in 1944 that he baled out over France. On landing, he met a boy who guided him to the local resistance fighter. He gave this boy the pull ring from his chute. Later he visited France and met the wartime lad, by then a man. The Frenchman still had the chute ring as a treasured possession.

Betrayed
After being shot down Wilf, injured and burnt, had no intention of giving himself up. The resistance workers got him on to the scape route, and he finished up on the road to Paris. He was hidden in a house, in civilian clothing, with a number of other aircrew when they were betrayed, by a woman. Wilf was taken into custody by the Vichy police and was imprisoned in Fresnes, where he was questioned by the Gestapo. The prison was atrocious, and he was regularly beaten and interrogated in an effort to get him to divulge the identities of the people who had helped him. He was branded a spy because he was captured in civilian clothing. He was eventually transferred to the notorious Buchenwald concentration camp. Here there were 300 prisoners to a hut, with only space for 100 at a time to lie down and sleep. They were beaten and abused by the SS.

Plots
But the Normandy landings had taken place, and the liberation forces were on the way, so the Germans transferred him, along with others, to a "proper" prisoner-of-war camp, Stalag Luft III and given the number 8106. Here he quickly became involved in escape plots, being an experienced maker. Before any more escapes could be made, the camp was "liberated." Burnley's silent hero was on his way home.'

After the war he was involved in the Prisoner of War Relatives' Association, notably speaking with both Bob Harper and George Watmough after they were quoted in News of the World as part of a campaign for higher disability payments for those interned in concentration camps. The same article quotes Alfred Close, one of the other survivors of Theresianstadt Camp who describes the conditions thusly, stating:

'Mr Close, a commissionaire, who draws a 30 per cent, disability pension, said: "I am certainly not satisfied. I once got more for breaking my leg in an industrial accident. I had many a beating up from the S.S. guards. We were short of food and we slept on concrete slabs. The place was packed to the limit. Only 100 of us could lie down and sleep at a time and the other 200 had to stand".'

Marshall himself does not seem to have been a spokesman of the campaign however as there exist several letters, included with the lot, between himself and the above spokesmen make reference to it. He settled back in Burnley were he began to work as a Coroner's Officer. An article written at the time of his retirement states:

'Mr Sympathy signs off

A man who has endeared himself to many local families during moments of tragedy and bereavement has retire from his post as coroner's officer. He is Mr Wilf Marshall, of Palne Tree Close, Burnley, who celebrated his 55th birthday on Sunday by retiring from the post he has held for almost 10 years. And on Friday, East Lancashire District Coroner Mr H. G. W. Cooper paid tribute to the man who has helped soften the blow of bereavement for so many people during the past decade.

Describing him as efficient, Kind and sincere, Mr Cooper Said, "Kindness is an essential part for anyone working in the courts. He will be long remembered by the many people he has come into contact with during his period of service. I wish him and his wife many years of happy retirement".'

Marshall left the Royal Air Force on 13 June 1946 and then joined Burnley Borough Police Force. He was present at the Coronation of 1953 staying at the Police Camp based at Kensington Gardens (possibly entitled to the medal). He was then to join the Coroner's Office serving for 10 years. During his time in the force he was commended on five occasions, three times by Burnley magistrates and the then Watch Committee and twice by the then Chief Constable. Marshall died on 19 March 1985.

Sold together with copied research as well as an original archive comprising:

i)
Royal Air Force Service and Release Book, which notes eleven months as a Prisoner of War.

ii)
RAF dog tags named to '1049586 D Marshall O'

iii)
Two Warrant Officer cloth rank badges.

iv)
Nine photographs including a portrait of the recipient as a Flight Sergeant, a photograph of the recipient's crew, annotated on the reverse and images from members of the French supports of the escape lines which the recipient made use of, notably Papa Louiseau, the leader of the local resistance where he landed.

v)
Flight Engineers cloth half brevet.

vi)
Pathfinder Club badge.

vii)
Caterpillar Club Membership Certificate named to 'F/Sgt. W. Marshall'.

viii)
Five newspaper articles, noting the burial of the recipient's comrades in France, his career, retirement and work with the Prisoner of War Relatives Association.

ix)
Two letters, one from George Watmough and one with Bob Harper.

x)
A copy of Destination Buchenwald.

xi)
A K98 bayonet with a plaque set in the handle engraved, 'Taken from Guard Stalag Luft III By W/O W. Marshall RAF. 1945'

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Estimate
£1,000 to £1,200

Starting price
£950