James Neville Marshall VC MC*

b. 12/06/1886 Manchester. d. 04/11/1918 Sambre-Oise Canal, France.

James Neville Marshall (1886-1918) was born on 12th June 1886 at 2 Crosby Place, Steven Street, Stretford, Manchester, and was baptised on 30th July 1887 at All Saints Church, Wigan. However, his birth was not registered until the 3rd quarter of 1887. His father, James Henry Marshall, was a small ware buyer originally from County Fermanagh, Ireland, who moved to Manchester by 1880. He married Mary Ann Walmsley, who came from Southport, on 15th September 1880 at St Philip’s Church, Manchester. At some point in 1892, the family moved to Acocks Green, Warwickshire, where James senior was now a haberdasher. Sadly, when James junior was 24, his father took his own life. James junior had five siblings – Klein, Mary, Nanny, May and Dorothy.

James N Marshall
VC MC*

James was educated at Wellesbourne House School in Acocks Green, then King Edward VI Grammar School in King’s Heath, Birmingham between 1899-1902, and then Birmingham University for two years in the period 1905-10. It is understood he studied veterinary science but did not gain a qualification. He served in the Officer Training Corps there.

James was then employed as a clerk at the Birmingham and Midland Institute for a year before university. What then happened is unclear. He may have practised as a horse doctor at Sawbridgeworth, near Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire. After his father’s death in 1910, he inherited the estate and purchased Bromleys Farm, Latton near Harlow, Essex in 1911, where he practised as a vet. He became well known in local agricultural circles, established himself as a talented point to point rider and took the Boy Scouts camping. In 1913 he was convicted of threatening a farmer. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons brought an action against him, which he defended successfully claiming he never said he was a veterinary surgeon, just as a “quack”. When he applied for his commission he was running a stud farm.

James married Edith Maud Taylor, from Ware, Hertfordshire, on 20th September 1911 at St Mary at Latton Church, Harlow, Essex. There were several discrepancies on the marriage certificate – his name was listed as James Neville Wellesley Marshall, aged 32 not 24, and his father was listed as a soldier not a haberdasher, and not recorded as deceased.

James offered his services to Belgium at the outbreak of the Great War, and joined the 1st Regiment d’Artillerie, 1st Division d’Armie as a first lieutenant on 13th September 1914. The Belgian Army appears to have believed he was a doctor and he performed this function. He was at Antwerp and was wounded on 28th September and 18th October. On the latter occasion he was severely wounded in the lung and leg and in January 1915 was sent for two months sick leave to England. He never returned to the Belgian Army. He was awarded the Officer of the Order of Leopold on 6th December 1914 for gallant conduct. The medal was presented by King Albert of Belgium on 11th January 1915.

In 1915 James changed his name to John for no reason. He joined the British Army but spent most of the year recovering from his wounds and suffered periodic haemorrhages from the lung wound. When James enlisted he made several false statements such as he had studied to be a vet in Rush College, Chicago, that he had fought in the Cape Mounted Rifles in the Boer War of 1900-02 (he would have been 13/14 at the time), and that he had fought in the Spanish Moroccan War of 1908.

James was commissioned in the Supplementary Reserve of Irish Guards on 8th December 1915 and joined 3rd Battalion. He was promoted to lieutenant and went to France on 13th May 1916 to join an entrenching battalion near Albert. He transferred to 1st Irish Guards near Ypres on 15th June. He was awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre on 20th July 1916. He was wounded, and subsequently evacuated to England on 8th September. He was treated at Mason’s Hospital in London. He was founded to be unfit for service for two months, which was extended. He was awarded the Military Cross in the New Years Honours List for his work during the period June-August 1916. He was again found medically unfit for service for three months in January 1917. He did not rejoin the 2nd Irish Guards until March 1917.

He was appointed Second-in-Command, 1/6th Lancashire Fusiliers on 25th May. Flare ups of old wounds soon saw him invalided back home again for a period of time. James worked in HQ 125th Brigade until 7th May 1918. He then rejoined the 2nd Irish Guards until 1st June, when he was appojnted Second in Command of 2nd Manchester. He was awarded a Bar to his Military Cross for his actions on 10th August 1918 in the attack on Parvillers and Damery Woods. He was ordered to take a company and two platoons to fill a gap and capture a position held by the enemy, which he succeeded in doing. He was wounded during the action.

On 12th October he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and assumed command of the 16th Lancashire Fusiliers.

On 4th November 1918 at the Sambre–Oise Canal, near Catillon, France, when a partly constructed bridge was badly damaged before the advanced troops of his battalion could cross, Lieutenant Colonel Marshall organised repair parties. The first party were soon killed or wounded, but the colonel’s personal example was such that more volunteers were instantly forthcoming. Under intense fire and with complete disregard of his own safety he stood on the bank encouraging his men and helping in the work. When the bridge was repaired he attempted to lead his men across, but was killed in the attack. Wilfred Owen was killed in the same engagement soon after the bridge was crossed as he encouraged his men.

He was buried in Ors Communal Cemetery, Ors, France, near to James Kirk VC and Wilfred Owen MC. The posthumous VC was presented to his widow by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 12th April 1919. At the time of his death, he was wearing ten wound stripes, although there is only evidence for six. Although in his life he often inflated and invented facts, he was a well respected and fine soldier. He is commemorated on the War Memorial in Old Harlow, on the War Memorial at the Old Harlow Baptist Church, on the King Edward VI Grammar School War Memorial, on the Great War Memorial at Birmingham University, and a VC commemorative stone placed at the Hall of Memory in Birmingham on 7th December 2015, and also a VC commemorative stone placed at Trafford Town Hall, Manchester on 4th November 2018.

In addition to his VC and MC and Bar he was awarded the British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal 1914-19 with Mentioned in Despatches oakleaf, Belgian Chevalier of the Order of Leopold, and the Belgian Croix de Guerre 1914-18. The medals were presented to the Irish Guards by his sister, Dorothy Stevens, on 17th December 1970, with his brother, Klein, in attendance. The medals are held and displayed at the Irish Guards RHQ in Wellington Barracks, London.

LOCATION OF MEDAL: IRISH GUARDS RHQ, WELLINGTON BARRACKS, LONDON.

BURIAL PLACE: ORS COMMUNAL CEMETERY, ORS, FRANCE.

IN LINE WITH ROW A-22