Robert Henry Marsh
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Robert was born on 22nd December 1894 at 9 Lord Street, Sutton-in-Ashfield, and was the son of Linda (Linney) Marsh. On 14th April 1900 Linney married Thomas Yates at the Registry Office in Mansfield, and the family went to live at 51 Club Street. Bob is recorded on the 1901 census as Thomas’ stepson. At the age of 16 Bob is working as a brickyard labourer, at the Bentink Colliery, which was hard and strenuous work. He was a boy doing the work of a man. Bob also had a brother George William, and a half sister Mary Lizzie, and half brothers Thomas, John Alfred and Charles, from his mother’s marriage to Thomas Yates.
Bob enlisted at Sutton in Ashfield into 10th battalion the Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derbys Regiment) at the outbreak of WW1. He was killed in action 0n 7th July 1916 at Quadrangle Support, Contalmaison. He has no known grave and his names is commemorated on the Thiepval memorial on the Somme. On 6th July the Battalion again made preparation to move forward and were ordered to rest on the Fricourt crossroads before advancing towards Quadrangle Support Trench, near Contalmaison. The trench was masterfully positioned and well constructed at the brow of a hill and well furnished with ammunition and elite teams of sharpshooters. The attack had become a battle in no man’s land compounded by bad weather and dreadful ground conditions. Movement orders arrived earlier than anticipated on 7th July and Bob along with the rest of the 10th Battalion was on his way to the old front line at Well Lane and Lonely Trenches by 9am. The companies regrouped in the valley south west of the Hedge line that ran between Bottom and Shelter Woods. C and D companies were sent forward to the front line, Quadrangle Trench in readiness for another attack upon Quadrangle Support Trench. During the afternoon the shelling increased in tempo, office and men from both A and B companies were hit and four Lewis guns were buried. It became necessary to move the two companies to trenches and shell holes near Bottom Wood. At 5pm more orders were received to take over Quadrangle Trench and to clarify the situation in the communication trench Pearl Alley that ran from Quadrangle Trench in front of Contalmaison Village up hill to Quadrangle Support Trench. Contrary to earlier reports, it was soon confirmed that the Support Trench was held by the German army. Orders for the attack came at 6.45pm, and after a short bombardment the Trench would be attacked at 8pm. The attack went in late and was ragged. As soon as the battalion went over the top, a ferocious German artillery barrage met the attacking company. As they struggled up the hill, over the churned up mud and past dead bodies of previous attacks they came under increasing rifle and machine gun fire. It is not known at what time Robert Henry was killed, his death is reported as a statistic under ‘other ranks’. The Sherwood Foresters Roll records that he was ‘killed in action when in the attack on Quadrangle Support near Contalmaison, France’ on 7th July 1916. He was just 21 years old. It was over nine months after his death that news was received by his mother that both Robert Henry and his brother George William had been killed the previous year. It was reported in the Mansfield Advertiser dated March 1917 that RH Marsh, previously reported wounded and missing was now reported killed. Such was the intensity of the battle for Contalmaison that men were missing, taken prisoner or killed and their whereabouts not known for some time. Robert Henry’s name appears on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, St Mary Magdalene parish church war memorial and a bronze plaque inside the church.
His brother George William Marsh also served during the 'Great War' , he was killed in action 17th July 1917 Additional information courtesy Lynne Weston
