John Thomas Marshall Gunner 1 00062 - 280th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery Killed in action on Monday 11th June 1917. age 35 Buried in Kandahar Farm Cemetery, Heuvelland, Belgium John Thomas Marshall was born in the early months of 1882, in Gnosall. His father was probably John Madeley, youngest son of Robert and Harriet Madeley: In 1891 aged 9, John was living in Cowley with Robert Madeley (by then a widower) and Robert's eldest son Thomas.  John was entered as grandson to Robert and given the surname of Madeley. John's grandfather Robert died in 1897 aged 80 and by 1901 John T. Marshall aged 19, nephew, was living in Gnosall at number 4, Mill Street (now called Mill Lane) with his uncle Thomas Madeley; John Thomas was working as a farm carter. On the 7 th  of November 1910 John Thomas Marshall married Rose Lillian Swift, daughter of licensed victuallers John and Rosina Swift.  Rose's parents had been running the Quarry Inn on Church Street, Shifnal in 1891.  Her father died in 1903 aged 47 and by 1911 his widow was the Innkeeper at the Boat Inn, Cowley.  John Thomas and Rose Lilian were staying with her in that year and had a son, John Arthur, who was 3 months old.  John senior was working as a tram conductor. On the 11 th  July 1916 John Thomas Marshall signed up with the Royal Army Garrison Artillery, transferring from the Army Reserve (Class B) with whom he had enlisted earlier in the year. However he did not join up locally: he went to Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. Moving away from home to enlist sometimes happened when the man did not want to fight alongside familiar faces. At the time he enlisted John Thomas was the Licensed Victualler of The Boat Inn.  He was 34 years and 5 months old, 6 feet and 1 half inch tall and had a chest measurement of 35 inches. Gunner 100062 John Thomas Marshall embarked from Southampton on the 17th of March 1917, when Rose Lilian was about 4 months pregnant with their third son, and disembarked at Le Havre 24 hours later.  He served with the British Expeditionary Force (regt. 280 Siege Battery) in France & Flanders from the 18 th  of March 1917 until the date of his death almost four months later. John Thomas' belongings (originally scribbled on a scrap of paper) were listed thus: - "Wallet contg. correspondence & photo's; belt, watch & leather guard, Letters, 4 packets twist, tin of Keatings & £1/10 & 26 francs & 40 centimes" &, (written on back): "back pocket: case."  Also mentioned but crossed out was "parcel (opened)". Gunner John Thomas Marshall is buried at Kandahar Farm Cemetery which is 1 kilometre east of the village of Wulvergen and 10.5 kilometres south from Ieper (Ypres) in Belgium.  For much of the war, the front line ran a little east of the village of Wulvergen. On January 2 nd  1918 Rose was granted a pension of 26 shillings and 3 pence, for herself and three children, back-dated to the 26 th  of December 1917. Widow Rose had written to the authorities, sending birth and marriage certificates in support of her claim to be next-of-kin; however these had been returned (with the

appropriate form [B 104-76] to be completed) as unacceptable without a declaration signed by a magistrate. Rose then filled out the form, revealing in the 'Statement of the names and addresses of all the relatives of the above named deceased Soldier in each of the degrees specified below': - Widow of the Soldier: Rose Lilian Marshall, Boat Inn, Gnosall, Staffs. Children of the Soldier and their births (as above, but not including Ethel Hollinshead). Father of the Soldier: none. Mother of the Soldier: Martha Peake, No. 8, Laburnam Street, Wolverhampton. Brothers of the Soldier; Full Blood: none. Half-blood: William Henry Peake, 32 years, 6 Laburnam Street, Wolverhampton. Sisters of the Soldier; Full Blood: none. Half-blood: Evelyn Peake, 19 yrs, 6 Laburnam St, Wolverhampton. Gladys Peake, 14 yrs, 6 Laburnam St, Wolverhampton. This statement was followed by a Declaration signed by Rose Lilian Marshall (of the Boat Inn) on the 28 th  April 1919 and Witnessed by the Rev. J.C. Bocking, vicar of Gnosall with Knightley (of Gnosall Vicarage).  Rose was able to acknowledge receipt of John Thomas' "British War and Victory Medals" on the 5th of October 1921.

Kandahar Farm Cemetery, Heuvelland, Belgium Historical Information Kandahar Farm was near the village of Wulverghem (now Wulvergem) and for much of the war, the front line ran a little east of the village. The cemetery was used by Commonwealth divisions holding this sector from November 1914 to April 1918, when it fell into German hands with the capture of Wulverghem and Neuve-Eglise (now Nieuwkerke). The two villages were recovered in early September and the cemetery was used again. There are now 443 Commonwealth burials of the First World War in the cemetery.