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Auction: 8010 - Orders, Decorations, Medals & Militaria
Lot: 265

A Great War ´1917 Casualty´ Group of Three to Lance-Sergeant F.J. Marshall, Devonshire Regiment 1914 Star (7691 Pte. F.J. Marshall. 1/Devon:R.); British War and Victory Medals (7691 Cpl. F.J. Marshall. Devon.R.), good very fine or better (3) Estimate £ 140-180 7691 Lance-Sergeant Frederick James Marshall, born Tiverton, Devon; served during the Great War with the 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment on the Western Front from 22.8.1914; he later transferred to "A" Company 8th (Service) Battalion, earning the following mention in the Battalion War Diary for 28.3.1917,´´Then early on the 28th under cover of an attack against Croiselles "A" Company tried to gain ground on the left. The attack on Croiselles failed... The Platoon Sergeant was killed and several others fell but Second Lieutenant Littlewood dashed forward to a bank, lined his men out along it, set them to work digging in and soon established a strong post. Corporal Marshall backed him up splendidly, controlling his men admirably under heavy fire and setting a fine example of coolness´´; Marshall died of wounds seven months later on the 26th October, during that month the battalion had been involved in the third battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) and on the the 26th, the 8th Battalion in conjunction with the 9th went into action astride the Menin Road towards Gheluvelt; ´´A´´ Company were virtually annihilated trying to take out pill boxes which were enfilading the attack; the 8th Battalion suffered 127 killed or missing, and 131 wounded - the attack was described as ´´The saddest day in their history, it was, nevertheless, the high water mark of their endeavour´´; Marshall is buried in the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium.

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