Name
Bertie George Marlow
3 April 1891
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
17/06/1916
25
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
3845
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
4 Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BETHUNE TOWN CEMETERY
V. E. 45.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
4 Co' Hertfordshire Reg' Territorials’ Memorial, Hitchin, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour (Book), Hitchin, Great Offley Village Memorial, St Mary Magdalene's Church Memorial, Great Offley, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford, Not on the King's Walden memorial, We are not aware of any memorial in Ley Green
Pre War
Bertie was recorded as born on 3 April 1891 in Kings Walden, however their address in the 1881 census was Ley Green, Hertfordshire it may have been there. He was christened on 1 June 1891 in Kings-Walden, Herts. His parents were James and Mary Ann Marlow (nee Bottoms), they married in Offley on 31 March 1886.
In 1901 the family were living at Lower Offley, Herts. Present were both parents: James (36) and Mary (37), with James working as a agricultural labourer. Their only child present was Bertie George (9).
In 1911 Bertie’s parent were living at Cowyard, Offley, nr Hitchin. The census recorded they had been married for 25 years with 3 children, unfortunately 2 had died. One of whom was Fred (b 1891). Bertie had left home and was found at 103 Station Rd, Church End, Finchley, lodging with the Clark family and working as an auxiliary postman.
He enlisted into the Hertfordshire Regiment as Private 3845, this means that he enlisted between 5 November and 13 December 1914
Officially Bertie was recorded as born in Offley, Herts. and a gave his address as there when he enlisted in Hertford.
Wartime Service
After training he landed in France on 18 April 1915. On 30 November 1915 he was admitted to the 4th Stationary Hospital from sick convoy with ‘D Caries’ (tooth decay or cavities) returning to duty on 9 December 1915.
According to the local Parish Magazine, he was killed instantly when a shell landed in a trench though the official records state that he died of wounds. If there was time to try to treat his wounds, he would have been admitted to No. 33 Casualty Clearing Station in Bethune.
The Regiment was part of the 118th Brigade in the 39th Division. According to the Regimental history, in the Spring and Summer of 1916, they were not involved in any important engagements. At the beginning of March they were at Ebbingham a few miles east of GHQ at St. Omer and for the next few months were probably used in support, relief and to provide working parties where necessary for other units situated nearer the front. This would account for men being killed in the area of Festubert between May and early August and north of Ploegsteert in mid-August 1916.
He was buried in Plot V, Row E, Grave 45 in Bethune Town Cemetery, France.
The Hertfordshire Mercury reported the event than led to Bertie’s death. “a company of the Regiment was having dinner in a traverse when a German shell dropped and exploded amongst them, killing two and wounding three. The two unfortunate lads to be killed were Pte. Henley, of Boxmoor, and Pte. Bertie George Marlow, of Offley. Both are very highly spoken of by their officers in letters of sympathy which have reached the sorrowing relatives.”
Bertie’s Lieutenant wrote: “We are sorry to lose him, he was always cheerful and smiling. He died like so many, doing his duty bravely and cheerfully, and all who knew him are very proud of him.”
Additional Information
After his death £2 7s 10d was authorised to go to his mother, Mrs Mary Marlow, on 4 September 1916. Later, a war gratuity of £7 was authorised to be paid to him/her on .
His pension cards record his mother, as his dependant, living at Cow Yard Cottages, Offley. She was awarded a pension of 5s a week from 2 January 1917.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
