Name
Hugh Keith Marshall
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
02/04/1917
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
594
Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
44th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ST. ALBANS (HATFIELD ROAD) CEMETERY
Mil. C. 3.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the St Albans memorials (*1)
Biography
Hugh Keith Marshall was born at Fremantle, Western Australia in 1898 to parents Hugh Keith & Susan Marshall (nee Harper)
Hugh Keith Marshall attended Fremantle Boys’ School, Western Australia.
According to information provided by his mother for the Roll of Honour – her son, Hugh Keith Marshall had served in the Naval Forces.
Hugh Keith Marshall stated he was a 21 year old, single, Clerk from 39 Cantonment Street, Fremantle, West Australia when he enlisted on 15th February, 1916 in Perth, Western Australia with the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.). His religion was Presbyterian & his next of kin was listed as his mother – Mrs Susan Pascall, 39 Cantonment Street, Fremantle, West Australia. Hugh Marshall stated on his Attestation Papers that he had served with 85th Battalion & was still serving.
Private Hugh Keith Marshall was posted to “1 Area” on 15th February, 1916 for recruit training. He was transferred to “C” Company, 44th Battalion on 3rd March, 1916.
Private Hugh Keith Marshall, Service number 594, embarked from Fremantle, Western Australia on HMAT Suevic (A29) on 6th June, 1916 with the 44th Infantry Battalion “C” Company & disembarked at Plymouth, England on 21st July, 1916.
Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was completed in training units in England. Some of these were located in the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire.
Private Hugh Keith Marshall was admitted to 11th Brigade Field Hospital on 9th August, 1916 with Gonorrhoea then transferred to Military Hospital at Bulford Camp, Wiltshire on 11th August, 1916 with V.D. He was struck off strength from Larkhill, Wiltshire in 11th October, 1916 having been absent in Hospital for over 30 days. Private Marshall was discharged from hospital on 21st December, 1916 – Total V.D. days – 133.
Private Hugh Keith Marshall proceeded overseas to France via Folkestone on 24th January, 1917 per Princess Clementine. He was marched in to 3rd A.D.B.D. (Australian Divisional Base Depot) at Etaples, France on 25th January, 1917. Private Marshall was marched out from 3rd A.D.B.D. on 27th January, 1917 & joined 44th Battalion in the Field on 29th January, 1917.
Private Hugh Keith Marshall reported sick on 20th March, 1917. He was admitted to 9th Australian Field Ambulance on 20th March, 1917 with Lobar Pneumonia. Private Marshall was transferred to 2nd Casualty Clearing Station on 21st March, 1917 then transferred & admitted to 32nd Stationary Hospital at Wimereux on 31st March, 1917. He embarked for England from Boulogne, France on 31st March, 1917 on Hospital Ship Cambria.
44th Battalion
The 44th Battalion was raised at Claremont, Western Australia in February 1916. It formed part of the 11th Brigade of the 3rd Australian Division, and soon became known as "Old Bill's Thousand" after its first commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel William Mansbridge. The battalion left Australia on 6 June and proceeded to Britain for further training. It arrived in France on 27 November and entered the front line trenches of the Western Front for the first time on 29 December.
The 44th spent the bleak winter of 1916-17 alternating between service in the front line, and training and labouring in the rear areas. This routine was broken by only one major raid, an ill-fated effort involving almost half the battalion on 13 March 1917.
(Extract of Battalion information from the Australian War Memorial)
Private Hugh Keith Marshall was admitted to County of Middlesex War Hospital, Napsbury, St. Albans, England on 1st April, 1917 with Pneumonia.
Private Hugh Keith Marshall died at 10.55 am on 2nd April, 1917 at County of Middlesex War Hospital, Napsbury, St. Albans, England from Pneumonia. (as per Hospital Admissions form, however the Morning State of Sick (Army form A. 27) recorded the cause of death as Syncope.)
A death for Hugh Marshall, aged 18, was registered in the June quarter, 1917 in the district of St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England.
Base Records advised Mrs S. Pascall, 39 Cantonment Street, Fremantle, Western Australia, mother of Private Hugh Keith Marshall, on 3rd April, 1917 that Private Hugh Marshall had been admitted to Hospital on 23rd March & was dangerously ill with Pneumonia.
Private Hugh Keith Marshall was buried at 3 pm on 7th April, 1917 in Hatfield Road Cemetery, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England – Grave number B3 Section S.C. (Soldiers’ Corner). This is now recorded by the CWGC as Plot number Mil. C. 3. and he now has a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone.
From the burial report of Private Hugh Keith Marshall – Private Marshall died quite suddenly from Heart failure, He complained of a pain and became unconscious almost immediately. The Medical Officer was in the ward at the time and did everything he could for him; unfortunately without avail. He did not recover consciousness and died without speaking or suffering.
[Note: The reverse of the Burial Report listed the Next of kin’s name & address; place of attestation, age & cause of death. Private Marshall’s age was listed as 19 years.]
A War Pension was granted to Susan Pascall, 39 Cantonment Street, Fremantle, mother of the late Private Hugh Keith Marshall, in the sum of 31/6 per fortnight from 6th June, 1917.
The War Pension for Susan Pascall, 39 Cantonment Street, Fremantle, was revised regarding the service of Private Hugh Keith Marshall, 594, 44th Battalion & Private Albert Pascall, 3442, 11th Battalion. The pension rate of 71/6 fortnight was granted from 25th July, 1917. “(Two pensions in respect to the above members are now converted into one.)”
Miss E. Elbourn, 65 Cavendish Road, St. Albans, Herts, England wrote to Base Records on 4th May, 1920 with the following letter: “I have written to the Commissioner of the Australian House, The Strand, London, concerning the address of next of kin to No. 594 Pte H. K. Marshall, 44th Batt. A.I.F., but he unfortunately cannot state it, as have no record of said address. They advised me to write to you & you would be kind enough to forward my letter on to them...”
Base Records replied to Miss E. Elbourn on 21st April, 1920 advising that her “enclosure has been forwarded to the next-of-kin of the late No. 594 Private H. K. Marshall, 44th Battalion.”
The enclosure was forwarded to Mrs S. Pascall, 39 Cantonment Street, Fremantle, West Australia on 21st April, 1920.
Mrs Susan Pascall, 29 Sea View Street, Beaconsfield, Fremantle, Western Australia, wrote to Base Records on 4th January, 1922 with the following letter: “I would very much like to have Memorial Scroll for my late son Hugh Keith Marshall 44th Batt died in England 2nd April 1917 also the Medals if available.”
Base Records replied to Mrs S. Pascall Sea View Street, Beaconsfield, Fremantle, Western Australia on 10th August, 1922 regarding a letter she sent on 27th July (Note: the letter sent by Mrs Pascall is not included in the Service Record file for Private Marshall) “concerning the War Medals, etc., of the late Nos. 3442 Gunner A. Pascall, 4th Division Medium Trench Mortar Battery, and 594 Private H. K. Marshall, 44th Battalion, and to inform you that the mementoes forwarded to you direct from this office were the Memorial Scrolls. The British War Medal of your husband was forwarded to Headquarters, 4th District Base, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide, and the authorities there will arrange for its transmission to you. The Victory Medals will be transmitted direct from this office as soon as they are available for issue.”
[Note: Mrs Susan Pascall’s husband – Gunner Albert Pascall, 3442, 4th Division Heavy and Medium Trench Mortar Battery Field Artillery, was killed in action in France on 3rd May, 1917, aged 35. He is remembered on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, France.]
Private Hugh Keith Marshall was entitled to British War Medal & the Victory Medal. A Memorial Scroll & Memorial Plaque were also sent to Private Marshall’s mother - Mrs S. Pascall, as the closest next-of-kin. (Scroll sent January, 1922 & Plaque sent July, 1922).
Acknowledgments
Gareth Hughes, Jonty Wild, Cathy Sedgwick, Beth Page - https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/
