Description
Queen’s South Africa, 2 bars, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, 476 3rd Class Trooper Percy Lewis Marshall, South African Constabulary.
Officially impressed: “476 3rd Cl Tpr: P.L. Marshall. S.A.C.”
Confirmed on the medal roll.
Also later entitled to the SA 1901 and SA 1902 pair of the clasps, to be sent on later, however the rolls note these were “Returned”.
Percy Lewis Marshall was born in Putney, Surrey circa 1883.
During the Boer War he became one of the young English recruits to join the South African Constabulary, who were recruiting all around the UK for volunteers.
He would have been about 18 years old when he joined up.
He looks to have remained in South Africa after the war briefly, as he had a child born there in 1911.
With the outbreak of World War 1, he was back home in England, when he signed up with the Royal Garrison Artillery for active service on 28th September 1916 in London. He notes that he was a Mining Engineer who had previously Army Service in the S.A. Constabulary, which was probably what he was doing after the Boer War before returning back to England.
He would served as a Signaller and Telephonist with the R.G.A.
Landed for service in France with the B.E.F. from 20th March 1917,
Following a concussion he was reprimanded and awarded 3 days confinement to barracks on 22nd August 1917 “For not complying with hospital orders and smoking in the ward.”
He notes that he was suffering from “Synovitis Knee, caused by concussion from a shell, 25th July 1917.”
Later posted to the Base at Havre on 5th Jan 1918, he would transfer over to the Labour Corps, posted to 945 Employment Company to finish out the war. Probably unfit for fighting service due to this issue.
He was medically discharged after the end of the war on 13th June 1919, receiving a partial 40% disability pension for his troubles.
