Claude Robert Marsh

Birtwistle Local Studies Library PH055
Claude (front) and Hartland Richards as POWs in Poland - Courtesy Alison Wholagan
Personal Information
Date of Birth	unknown
Place of Birth	Kelmscott, Western Australia
Death	23 Oct 1976, aged 79
Place of Death	Armadale, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	18 years, 7 months
Description	5' 9½" (1.77m) tall; weight 135 lbs (61.2 kg); dark complexion, brown eyes, dark brown hair
Occupation	farm hand
Religion	Church of England
Address	Armadale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father Mr Robert George Marsh
Military Information
Reg Number	6553
Date of Enlistment	13 Apr 1916
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	16th Battalion, 21st Reinforcement assigned to B Company / 4th Brigade, 4th Division
Date of Embarkation	13 Oct 1916 - 12 Dec 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A23 Suffolk
Date of Return	31 Mar 1919 - 24 May 1919
Ship Returned On	SS Khyber
Fate	Missing in Action, later Prisoner of War 11 Apr 1917 Returned to Australia
Monument	Armadale War Memorial (West Armadale panel) Armadale Congregational Church Honour Board Armadale and Districts Roll of Honour
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

Claude entered Blackboy Hill on 13 Apr 1916 and on 1 May was allocated to the 21st reinforcement draft for the 16th Battalion. After six months training in Australia he embarked for England, and on arrival there was sent to the 4th Training Battalion in the Rolleston district.

On 8 Feb 1917 he proceeded overseas to France from Folkestone on the HMT Princess Victoria. Five days later he joined the 16th Battalion in Albury Camp near Bazentin, south east of Poziéres. March 1917 was spent regrouping and training before a move back to the front lines occurred in early April with the intention of attacking the Hindenburg Line.

Following several changes of plans, and failure of the tanks to arrive in time for an attack on 10 April, the attack on the OG1 and OG2 trenches between Bullecourt and Reincourt took place early on 11 Apr 1917. Despite a complete lack of artillery and tank support the Australians captured parts of their objectives, but were eventually forced back, taking very heavy losses. Over 1,000 were captured when they ran out of ammunition or were surrounded by the Germans, who in the absence of artillery, had moved up reinforcements.

Claude was one of those captured near Reincourt after his Company Commander was killed. The early days of captivity were bleak with the prisoners kept close to the front lines restoring roads and carrying out other works behind the German front line.

Interned at Limburg, Germany, he was later transferred to Friedrichsfeld and then Schneidemuhl in Prussia where he worked first on forestry work and then as a farmhand on a farm owned by a German Sergeant of Polish ethnicity.

Repatriated to England via Danzig on 18 Dec 1918.

Discharged 5th Military District 7 Aug 1919. See separate publication "A Guest of the Kaiser" for the story of his time as a POW.

Casualty List 299 includes C.R. Marsh of Armadale as Missing.

Casualty List 334 corrects this to advise he was a prisoner of war.

Post War

Electoral Roll entries - 1925 Rowley road, Armadale, a labourer; 1943 an Agent, living in Fourth road, Armadale (no 21) where he remained until his death.

During WW2 he served from 30 Nov 1940 until 2 Jan 1942 in the Militia (5th Garrison Battalion) as a lance Corporal with Regimental No W31832.

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Virtual War Memorial