The Queens Own Royal West Kent R

The Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment

Second Lieutenant R H Marsh

Photograph "laurinlaurin espie"

Photograph by "R & S "

Second Lieutenant Ralph Hedley MARSH, 7th Battalion, Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment, killed in action, France, 12th April 1918, age 25.

1911 Census - 32 New Road Rochester, Kent - William Rowland Taylor, age 73, general engineer, retired, born St Thomas, Oxford; Annie Taylor, wife, age 39, married 10 years, born Iford, Somerset; Ralph Marsh, brother in law, age 18, single, bank clerk, born Clapham, London; Margaret Ramsay Edward, boarder, age 29, married, born Sheerness, Kent; Lily Kathleen Mayatt, servant, age 17, single, domestic cook, born Maidstone, Kent; Florence Elizabeth Page, servant, age 19, single, general servant domestic, born Frindsbury, Rochester, Kent.

Pte 1/24th London Regiment, Service Nos.2706/6968/723488.

Resided Cloudsly House, 32 New Road Rochester, Kent.

12th August 1919, Probate - Ralph Hedley Marsh, of Cloudsly House, New Road Rochester. Second Lieutenant 7th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment, died 12th April 1918, in France. Administration (with Will) London 12th August to Annie Taylor, widow. Effects £401 7s 3d.

Commemorated at Pozieres Memorial, Panel 58 and 59, France.

From Natwest Group Remembers -

Bank: London County & Westminster Bank. Place of work: Frinton-on-Sea branch

Ralph Hedley Marsh was born in Clapham, London, on 10 October 1892, the youngest of 9 children of Ben and Sarah Marsh. Ben Marsh died when Ralph was only two years old, and Ralph and his sister Kate went to live with their married eldest sister, Annie, in Rochester.

Ralph was educated at a mathematical school in Rochester. In April 1910, when he was 17 years old, he went to work for London County & Westminster Bank.

In November 1915 Marsh left his job as a clerk at the bank's Frinton-on-Sea branch to join the army, serving initially in the London Regiment and later in the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment. In 1917 he became a commissioned officer.

By April 1918 Second Lieutenant Marsh was at Hangard Village near Amiens in France, fighting alongside Australian forces to stem the advance of the German army following the launch of their last offensive of the war. He was killed in action there on 12 April 1918. He was 25 years old.

London Gazette 23rd November 1917.

War Office, 23rd November, 1917. REGULAR FORCES.

The under mentioned cadets to be temporary 2nd Lieutenants (attached) - 31 October 1917:

Royal West Kent Regiment - Ralph Hedley Marsh.

London Gazette 7th February 1918.

War Office, 7th February 1918. Regular Forces.

The under mentioned temporary 2nd Lieutenants (attached), unless otherwise stated, are transferred to Service Battalions, with effect from date shown:

Royal West Kent Regiment. - 31st October 1917. - R. H. Marsh.

This page was last updated on 04-Oct-2020.