Herbert Sherwood Marsh

Herbert Sherwood Marsh

Courtesy Pam Leunig
Personal Information
Date of Birth	15 Jul 1892
Place of Birth	Armadale, Western Australia
Death	6 Apr 1978, aged 85
Place of Death	Como, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	23 years, 6 months
Description	5' 9" (1.75m) tall ; 126 lbs 57.153 kg ; tanned complexion ; blue eyes ; light brown hair
Occupation	Farmer
Religion	Methodist
Address	Kelmscott, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father , Nr John Sherwood Marsh
Military Information
Reg Number	2883
Date of Enlistment	20 Mar 1916
Rank	Trooper
Unit/Formation	10th Light Horse Regiment, 20th Reinforcements / ANZ Mounted Division
Date of Embarkation	31 Jul 1916 ‒ 24 Aug 1916
Ship Embarked On	RMS Mongolia Fremantle to Egypt
Date of Return	10 Jul 1919 ‒ 4 Aug 1919
Ship Returned On	SS Oxfordshire
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	none currently Armadale Congregational Church Honour Board
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

The only son, and eldest of four children born to Alice Butcher who was the first wife for John (Jack) Sherwood Marsh. (Alice died young aged 30 - and was buried at St Mary in the Valley, Kelmscott). John Sherwood remarried in 1901 to Mary Florence Plant. They later settled in Northam having increased the family by another 2 girls.

Herbert married Myrtle Edith Bechtel in Beverley in 1916 before going overseas. Myrtle died on 29 Oct 1967 in South Perth aged 73

War Service

Entered the Claremont camp on 31 Mar 1916, joining the 60th Depot Company briefly before undertaking further training with the 6th Depot Squadron, and then the 19th reinforcement draft for the 10th Light Horse Regiment. On 9 Jun 1916 Herbert was transferred to the 20th draft, and travelled with them to Egypt.

On arrival in Moascar, Egypt, Herbert was placed in the isolation camp on 25 Aug 1916 and kept there until 23 Sep 1916 when he joined the Light Horse training unit. He finally joined the 10th Light Horse Regiment in the field on 23 Oct 1916 at Hod el Amara and spent the next month with them near Romani.

In Feb 1917 he was ill with lumbago for a week being treated by the 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance, and discharged to duty on 1 Mar 1917. He needed help again on 5 Apr 1917, this time at Deir El Belah with cystitis. He entered the 54th Casualty Clearing Station on 7 Apr 1917 before being passed on 9 Apr 1917 to the 24th Stationary Hospital, and then on 10 May 1917 to the 14th Australian General Hospital. On 23 Jun 1917 he was transferred to a convalescent depot at Montazah until 22 Aug 1917 when he returned to the Light Horse depot at Moascar.

While he returned to his unit on 26 Sep 1917, it was not long before he was again in hospital from 4 Oct 1917 until 20 Aug 1917, this time with malaria. On 18 May 1918 he entered the 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance for treatment with diarrhea and two days later was transferred to the 47th Stationary Hospital at Kantana, followed by the 44th Stationary Hospital on 25 May 1918. The next day he was moved to the 31st General Hospital in Abbassia, and on 12 Jun 1918 he was released to a convalescent depot. Released to duty on 21 Jun 1918, he returned to this unit on 29 Jun 1918.

Sick with malaria again, he was seen by medical staff in the Jordan Valley on 28 Jul 1918, and on 31 Jul 1918 he was admitted to the 32nd Casualty Clearing Station in Jerusalem. Transferred the same day to the 47th Stationary Hospital in Gaza, on 3 Aug 1918 he was transferred to the 44th Stationary Hospital in Kantana, and then the next day transferred to the 31st General Hospital in Abbassia. Herbert was discharged to duty on 25 Aug 1918.

On 12 Nov 1918 Herbert was admitted to the 14th Australian General Hospital in Port Said with another bout of malaria before being sent to a rest camp on 27 Dec 1918. He was released to the Moascar base camp on 8 Jan 1919 and then on 10 Feb 1919 to Kantana to await a ship home. He was discharged by the 5th Military District on 21 Nov 1919.

The 1917 Feb-Mar edition of The Drill of the Foot-Hills mentions his name only, but gives no details.

Post War

Electoral Roll entries: 1916 farmer at West Dale; 1925 Northam, farmer; 1926 a station hand at Norseman; (Myrtle, not with him); 1931 - 1968 at 29 Swan street, South Perth, collar maker; Son Fred Sherwood Marsh (b. 22 Nov 1924)who was a teacher was with them in 1968; 1972 -1977 at 77 Edgecumbe street Como with Fred and Joan Dorothy.

Fred Sherwood Marsh served from 30 Jan 1943 until 28 Feb 1946 in the RAAF as a Warrant Officer during WW2 with Reg No 436526

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Virtual War Memorial