CORPORAL ALBERT GEORGE MARSH: 11600
83rd. Brigade Royal Field Artillery.
Albert was the eldest child born to Albert and Emma Marsh. He had three siblings – Florence, who died aged just one, Elsie and Harry. The family lived in South Street, but later moved to 14 West Bay Road.
Albert senior worked as a brewery labourer-almost certainly at Palmers and in later years Emma supplemented the family income by taking in laundry.
In 1911, Albert , like his father, was employed as a labourer and sister Elsie was helping out with the laundry.
When war broke out both Albert and his brother Harry joined up, Harry enlisting with the Royal Garrison Artillery and Albert with the Royal Field Artillery.
Both were deployed to France.
On March 21st.1918, the German’s launched their ‘Spring Offensive’ – a series of German attacks along the Western Front which saw some of the bitterest and most costly fighting of WW1. The Germans hoped to finally defeat the Allies before newly arriving American forces could be fully deployed. The Offensive lasted until April 5th with enormous loss of life on both sides.
During the defence of the town of Noyon, on March 28th Albert lost his life – ‘dying of wounds’.
He was a brave and heroic man and was awarded the Military Medal – ‘for Acts of Gallantry under Fire’.
Albert was buried at the Noyon New British Cemetery, Noyon, Département de l’Oise
His headstone inscription reads;
“THEIR GLORY SHALL NOT BE BLOTTED OUT”