Captain William Macandrew Marshall,
MiD(2)
37th Dogras & Indian Political
Department
28/07/1916
Elder son of Colonel W S & Mrs M A Marshall. One
of two brothers who both fell. Brother of Lieutenant
Douglas
Cargill Marshall.
Killed in action or assassinated, aged 29 years.
NEWS ITEM in Jersey Evening Post
of Monday 2 September 1918
Mentioned in Despatches. Lieutenant General
W R Marshall, Commander in Chief of the Mesopotamia
Expeditionary Force, has submitted a list of names of
officers, NCOs and men whose distinguished and gallant
services and devotion to duty he considers deserving
of special mention, included is Captain W M Marshall
of the Dogras who was killed in action.
NEWS ITEM in Jersey Evening Post
of Monday 2 September 1918
How Captain W M Marshall Met his Death.
Lieutenant General W R Marshall, Commander in Chief
of the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force, has sent the
Secretary of State for War a despatch submitting a report
on the operations in Mesopotamia from 1 October 1917
- 31 March 1918. The General, after describing the British
advance, states "Care was taken not to establish
troops in either of the religious cities of Kerbela
or Ledjef, but quartered at a distance. The inhabitants
of Ledjef are for the most part well-disposed holy people
but there is in addition a proportion of irreconcilables
in the town. On 12 January some of these fired on the
troops exercising near the town causing a few casualties,
not wishing to injure a town which is full of sacred
memories for the Mohammedens I decided to punish two
of the leading sheikhs who were known to be responsible
for the events and to levy a heavy fine. The sheikhs
however fled before they could be arrested and became
outlaws, the fine was paid. After this incident matters
seemed to be going on satisfactorily when on 21 March
to my great regret the political officer in Ledjef,
Captain W M Marshall, was murdered, No reason was given
for the act as the deceased officer was universally
liked. I immediately ordered a blockade of the town
until all those implicated in the murder were given
up and surrounded it by a cordon of military posts joined
by barbed wire. While I am prepared to go to extreme
measures if necessary in order to exact reparation for
so foul a deed I feel confident that by blockade methods
I shall cause all the delinquents to be surrendered.
When these have been removed the further punishment
of the town will be a matter for subsequent consideration".
The late Captain Marshall, as is generally known,
was the only surviving son of Colonel & Mrs W S
Marshall.
