Name
Marcus Francis Oliphant
15 Dec 1885
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
12/08/1915
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
Norfolk Regiment
5th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HELLES MEMORIAL
Panel 43 to 45.
Turkey (including Gallipoli)
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Bengeo School Memorial – Location TBC, St Mary the Virgin Church War Memorial, Gunthorpe, Norfolk, Roll of Honour plaque, Gunthorpe, Norfolk, War Memorial Chapel at Rugby School, Pembroke College Chapel War Memorial, Oxford
Pre War
Marcus Francis Oliphant was born in 1886, in Stoke upon Trent, to parents Francis George and Elizabeth (nee Beresford), he had one younger brother Trevor.
In 1891 he was living with his parents at Little Aston, Shenstone, Staffs, and his father is recorded as a Clerk of Holy Orders. Marcus attended Bengeo School, Herts. Aged 15 in 1901 Marcus was a boarder at Rugby school, he went on to Pembroke College, Oxford in 1904 and obtained a BA in 1909. He was an Assistant Master in 1911 at Stanmore Park, Middx.
Wartime Service
Marcus enlisted when war broke out as a member of the 28th County of London Regt (The Artists Rifles), but on March 28th 1915 he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieut. In 'C' Coy. 5th Battalion Norfolk Regt.
After further training they embarked on the SS Aquitania for Gallipoli via Lemnos on 29th July 1915. The battalion landed at Suvla Bay on 11th August and were rushed into the front line almost immediately. The following day 163 Brigade, of which the Norfolks were part, were ordered to attack Tekke Tepe Heights, a strongly held section of the line. They came under extremely heavy fire and were unable to reach the Turkish trenches. The unit War Diary states that the Battalion lost 22 Officers and 350men, one of them being Marcus Oliphant in his unit’s first taste of battle. His remains were never recovered and he is remembered on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli.
His medals and Effects of £44 7s 6d were sent to his father the Rev. Francis G Oilphant, Ormesby, Sheringham, Norfolk.
Additional Information
The 5th Norfolk’s were the so called ‘Missing Battalion or the Sandringham Battalion’, who supposedly disappeared and were never seen again after they charged at the enemy. There are a number of stories about what happened varying from logical explanations to the ridiculous (kidnapped by aliens). However as 116 bodies were discovered after the war and were found to be wearing Norfolk Regt badges it seems likely that they were all killed in action although as a number were found with single shots to the head another explanation is also possible.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Ann Hacke, Terry & Glenis Collins
