British War Medal 1914 - 20.
Victory Medal.
Silver War Badge No: B186507
4337 Pte. J.Marshall, West Yorkshire Regiment.
John Marshall was born in 1890, the seventh child of Charles Marshall, an engineer's machinist, and his wife Mary. The couple appear on the 1891 Census, where their address is given as 24 Albert Terrace, Gainsborough, and their children are listed as William (11), Albert (10), Maria (8), Alice (6), Charles (4), Lilly (2) and John (5 mths). By the time if the 1901 Census, the family had moved to 4 Trent Street, Gainsborough, and John, by now 10 years old, had three younger siblings: Elizabeth (8), Walter (6) and Frank (2).
John Marshall appears to have been still living at home when the First World War broke out in August 1914. He enlisted for the duration of the war on 10th December 1915 and in March of the following year was posted to the 2/5th West Yorkshire Regiment, a Territorial Force battalion that had been formed at York in September 1914.
The 2/5th West Yorks were sent to France in 1917, arriving at Le Havre on 5th January, as part of the 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division. The Division was involved in the attacks on Bullecourt in April and May 1917. You can read about them here. In the second Battle of Bullecourt, which began on 3rd May 1917, John Marshall was taken prisoner and would remain in captivity for the remainder of the war. On his return to England in January 1919, he was categorised as "no longer physically fit for war service" and discharged from the army on 2nd April. He was suffering from defective vision and neurasthenia caused by his war service and was awarded a Silver War Badge and a disability pension, which he would continue to receive until December 1920. John's younger brother, Frank, had also joined the army and sadly had been killed in action, at the age of 20, on 15th June 1918 serving in 'C' Company of the 8th Yorkshire Regiment.
John Marshall appears to have been still living at home when the First World War broke out in August 1914. He enlisted for the duration of the war on 10th December 1915 and in March of the following year was posted to the 2/5th West Yorkshire Regiment, a Territorial Force battalion that had been formed at York in September 1914.
The 2/5th West Yorks were sent to France in 1917, arriving at Le Havre on 5th January, as part of the 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division. The Division was involved in the attacks on Bullecourt in April and May 1917. You can read about them here. In the second Battle of Bullecourt, which began on 3rd May 1917, John Marshall was taken prisoner and would remain in captivity for the remainder of the war. On his return to England in January 1919, he was categorised as "no longer physically fit for war service" and discharged from the army on 2nd April. He was suffering from defective vision and neurasthenia caused by his war service and was awarded a Silver War Badge and a disability pension, which he would continue to receive until December 1920. John's younger brother, Frank, had also joined the army and sadly had been killed in action, at the age of 20, on 15th June 1918 serving in 'C' Company of the 8th Yorkshire Regiment.
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