P.O.W. James Marshall, R.A.S.C.

Discussion in 'Prisoners of War' started by DoubleD, Apr 11, 2017.

  1. DoubleD

    DoubleD Well-Known Member

    I am hoping that this section of the forum is the right place to start!

    James Marshall is commemorated on the Perth Academy War Memorial. I can find no service details for him on the CWGC website, and the only information I have is contained in the two newspaper reports below. I have also attached his photo which was also printed in the Perthshire Advertiser. That's it I'm afraid. No service no., no idea of his date of death, nor where he is buried.

    Any pointers would be very much appreciated.

    Many thanks,
    Dave

    Perthshire Advertiser, 21st September 1940

    “Private James Marshall (22), R.A.S.C. is a prisoner. He was an agricultural engineer with the International Harvester Co. of Great Britain, Leith Depot, and was previously with G. Sellar & Son, Ltd., Perth. He was in the Territorials for four years.”


    Perthshire Advertiser, 23 October 1943
    “WORKED IN A COAL MINE

    “All the mothers were tremendously excited at the thought of having their menfolk home again, although anxious about the extent of their illnesses. Mrs J. Marshall, 12 King’s Place, Perth, was gladdened by the thought of being able to give personal care to her only son, Private James Marshall, R.A.S.C., who has been in hospital at Stalag IV A with bronchial trouble.
    “Pte. Marshall, who is aged 25, was called up as a Territorial at the beginning of the war and left this country for France at Christmas, 1939. At St Valery he was captured and sent to Stalag VIIIB, where he remained for three years, working first in a coal mine and then as a blacksmith at a granite quarry.
    “He spent his spare time in camp studying German and, as he had polished up the French he learned as a pupil at Perth Academy while serving in France, he had been chosen to remain at Stalag IVA as an interpreter. Pte. Marshall now speaks German fluently. His last letters to his mother - one arrived on Wednesday of last week and was followed by a postcard on Friday - tell her that while in hospital he has been teaching English to some French patients.
    “Pte. Marshall was in civil life an agricultural engineer, and before going to the International Harvester Co., Ltd., at Leith, was employed by George Sellar & Son, Ltd., Glasgow Road, Perth.”
     

    Attached Files:

  2. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Hello Dave and welcome,

    A War Office document WO 392/1, registering prisoners of war in Germany/German occupied territories in September 1944, is held in the National Archives, Kew. There are two entries for a Private J. Marshall ,RASC, however, both have a second initial. They are:

    Private J.A. Marshall, service no. 115997, recorded as being held in Stalag 8C - Kunau KZ Sprottau/Sagan
    Private J.G. Marshall, service number S/189328, recorded as being held in Stalag 18A Wolfsberg.

    None of the RASC prisoners with the first initial J is recorded as being in Stalag 4A, though one, L/Cpl J.W. Marshall, was in Stalag 344 (formerly 8B).

    Regards

    Vitellino
     
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  3. DoubleD

    DoubleD Well-Known Member

    Vitellino,

    Thank you for the welcome, and for finding the information for me.

    Regards,
    Dave
     
  4. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

  5. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    All J Marshall as a POW:

    A J Marshall Royal Army Service Corps S/56785 1011 XVIII-C 29

    J Marshall Royal Army Service Corps Malbork, Poland 46009 14798 XX-B 29

    J Marshall Royal Army Service Corps Hartmannsdorf, Saxony 194028 260399 IV-F 29

    J A Marshall Royal Army Service Corps Konin Zaganski, Poland 115997 17083 VIII-C 29

    J A Marshall Royal Army Service Corps Torgau, Saxony T/244754 226060 IV-D 29

    J G Marshall Royal Army Service Corps Wolfsberg, Austria S/189328 5760 XVIII-A 29

    J H Marshall Royal Army Service Corps Bystrice, Czech Republic T/76202 258901 IV-C 29

    J H Marshall Royal Army Service Corps Wolfsberg, Austria S/4974029 2168 XVIII-A 29

    J W Marshall Royal Army Service Corps Lambinowice, Poland T/163861 221804 344 29

    In the records they only ever ref to POW's by their initials.

    TD
     
  6. DoubleD

    DoubleD Well-Known Member

    Steve Y and TD,

    Thank you both for your help. I will try and follow the links and see what I come up with.

    Regards,
    Dave
     
  7. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    23 October 1943. I've just noticed this date at the top of the newspaper article, the gist of which is that the men's mothers were 'tremendously excited at the thought of having their menfolk home again though anxious about their illnesses.'

    This indicates that the men whose mothers were 'tremendously excited' were repatriated due to ill-health. It is possible that Pte. Marshall died from his bronchial troubles back in Perth, elsewhere in Scotland or in one of the military hospitals in the UK. I suggest you try the death notices of the same newspaper from that date onwards.

    Vitellino
     
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  8. DoubleD

    DoubleD Well-Known Member

    Thanks for the advice Vitellino, I will do as you suggest.

    Regards,
    Dave
     
  9. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Let us know how it goes.
     
  10. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

  11. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

    Question.
    James Marshall is commemorated on the Perth Academy War Memorial. as such.
    JM.jpg

    There is no indication of where he lived or served, only that to be on there, he went to that Academy.
    Could it not be this man?
    MARSHALL, JAMES
    Rank: Flight Sergeant
    Trade: Wireless Op./Air Gunner
    Service No: 817011
    Date of Death: 28/07/1943
    Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force (Auxiliary Air Force) 53 Sqdn.
    Grave Reference Sec. S. Grave 295.
    Cemetery:
    ABERDEEN (ALLENVALE) CEMETERY
     

    Attached Files:

    • JM.jpg
      JM.jpg
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  12. DoubleD

    DoubleD Well-Known Member

    TD and RCG, thank you very much for the links.

    You are absolutely right about the connections to the Academy sometimes being quite loose (even more so in WW1). Pupils came from far and wide to attend the school, and they did move into the area from other districts, and also move away after they left the school. I think that is probably true for a lot of schools at that time.

    There is a reference in the newspaper article to an address in King's Place, and James (ASC) studying French at the school, so I am pretty sure, but not certain, that Flight Sgt Marshall is not my man.

    My subscription to Ancestry has run out, but funnily enough I have just received an email with a free offer this weekend, so I will see if anything turns up. I will also have another good look at the local papers in the library when I go up to Perth next Friday. I live 35 miles away, so I usually wait until I have a number of leads to follow to make it worth my while.

    I will let everyone know how I get on.

    Thanks again,
    Dave
     
  13. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Dave

    Ancestry has nothing on Scottish records after about 1910 (uncertain of exact date), they hold all there own records at ScotlandsPeople - just in case you were hoping

    TD
     
  14. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi,

    Not likely to be James Marshall RAF as as per CWGC extract he died July 1943 and the newspaper article quoted is from October 1943.

    Steve Y
     
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  15. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

    There are 20 James Marshalls listed CWGC, 7 which show a Scottish connection. But no definite connection with the Perth Academy.
    We know these died in WW2 and would be commemorated on a War Memorial.
    We have a Private James Marshall, R.A.S.C., Whom we know was alive in Oct 43 and had attended Perth Academy.
    The People who should know or have records of which James Marshall is on their Memorial would be here.

    Contact us | Perth Academy
     
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  16. DoubleD

    DoubleD Well-Known Member

    Thank you to one and all for digging away on my behalf, and for continuing to push me in the right direction.

    I did introduce myself on the main forum, but maybe I should have done the same on this sub-section. I am a retired teacher from the school (Design & Technology, not History) and I am helping a group of pupils with their research, starting with the Great War (168 names) and now moving on to World War Two (76 names).

    Unfortunately the school don't actually hold any records, but the archives at the AK Bell Library in Perth do. What I should now do, as well as scanning all the local papers at the library, is to look in the school enrolment registers, and the school magazines from the period. Hopefully this will provide some details, or turn up a link to any descendants who are still around.

    Ancestry and ScotlandsPeople are also a possibility, but as has been said, there is not much after 1911. In fact, unlike England, Ancestry only has the census records up to 1901 for Scotland. You have to pay for credits (£7 for 30 I think) on ScotlandsPeople for the 1911 census, and these can be used up quickly if you go down a blind alley.

    Lots of work for me to do yet, starting at the AK Bell Library next week. Wish me luck!

    Thanks once again,
    Dave
     
  17. DoubleD

    DoubleD Well-Known Member

    Another piece of the jigsaw. Death registration attached. I wonder if anyone with some expertise at interpreting cause of death (and handwriting) can help? Looks as though he died in 1946, as a result of the effects of his war service.

    Now that I have a date of death I can narrow my search of the newspapers. I can also contact Perth & Kinross Council and see if he is buried in Perth.
     

    Attached Files:

  18. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Where:
    12 Kings Place, Perth

    When:
    14th Dec 1946

    What:
    Acute Phthisis - a form of pneumonia/TB
    Hemophthisis - Hemoptysis - Wikipedia

    TD
     
  19. DoubleD

    DoubleD Well-Known Member

    TD,
    I thank you once again for your assistance.

    Dave
     

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