Have You a Tiger In Your Family?

Rank : Lieutenant Colonel

Army Number : 67123

Unit : 2nd Bn, Depot, 2/5th Bn, Royal 1st Bn

Biography :

Educated at Uppingham School and RMC Sandhurst, John Marshall was commissioned into The Leicestershire Regiment on 3.1.1936 and joined the 2nd Bn in Londonderry. He was a fine rugby player, and played for 2nd Bn, the Army, and for Aldershot Services. He was posted to the Depot in 1938. At the outbreak of World War Two he was at the Depot, then served in 2/5th Bn in France as Platoon Commander and Adjutant, and was wounded; he was awarded a Mention in Despatches (L.G. 20.12.1940). Volunteering for Airborne Forces in 1941, by 1942 he was Brigade Major of 1st Parachute Brigade, and saw action with them in Algeria and Tunisia in the North African campaign in 1943. He later became Bn 2IC 8th Parachute Battalion, and was wounded and captured on the first day of the Normandy landing, D-Day 1944. He was re-captured from hospital, and returned to England to take over command of 2nd Parachute Battalion in 1945. From there he was for some time an instructor at the School of Land/Air Warfare at Old Sarum. He was promoted to Major on 30.1.1949. In 1950 he rejoined 1st Bn The Royal Leicestershire Regiment and as Bn 2IC saw service in Hong Kong and Korea, and was awarded a Mention in Despatches (L.G. 10.10.1952). After the Korean War he became GSO1 Plans (Joint Planning Staff) in the Ministry of Defence. On 2.8.1954 he became CO of the 12th, later 12/13th Parachute Battalion (T.A.), going from there to HQ Aldershot District, first as Chief Instructor of the amalgamating Eaton Hall and Mons officer cadet schools and then as GSO1, for which he was awarded the O.B.E. (L.G. 1.1.1960). He was selected to command a TA Brigade in Wales, but before assuming command he died on 9.9.1960 as a result of a swimming accident whilst on holiday in County Kerry, Ireland, aged 45 years. He had for many years been a member of The Parachute Regimental Committee.
There is a brass memorial plaque to his memory in the Regimental Chapel in Leicester Cathedral, and he was buried at Woodhouse Eaves, Leicestershire, where there is a memorial inscription.

This page was last edited on 29.7.2019.

Date of Birth : 1915

Place of Birth : Norwich, Huron, Ohio, USA

Date of Death : 9.9.1960

Place of Death : Ballinskelligs, Kerry, Eire

Period of Service : 1936-60

Conflicts : WW2, Korean War

Places Served : Londonderry, Aldershot, France, Algeria, Tunisia, North Africa, England, Hong Kong, Korea