William Thomas Marshall
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-Colonel William Thomas Marshall VC
(5 December 1854 - 11 September 1920) was an English
recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
and Commonwealth
forces.
during the Mahdist War
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 29 February 1884 at Battle of El Teb, Sudan
, the Commanding Officer of the 19th Hussars, Lt. Col. Percy Barrow, was severely wounded, his horse was killed and he was on the ground surrounded by the enemy. Quartermaster-Sergeant Marshall, rode to his assistance, seized his hand and dragged him through the enemy back to the regiment, saving him from certain death.
He later became quartermaster
and captain in the 19th Hussars. In 1905, as a major
, he became Camp Quartermaster of Aldershot
. He retired in 1907. In 1918 he was promoted lieutenant-colonel.
His Victoria Cross is displayed in The Light Dragoons (15th/19th King's Royal Hussars) Museum Collection at the Discovery Museum, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(5 December 1854 - 11 September 1920) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
Details
Marshall was 29 years old, and a quartermaster-sergeant in the 19th Hussars, British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the Mahdist War
Mahdist War
The Mahdist War was a colonial war of the late 19th century. It was fought between the Mahdist Sudanese and the Egyptian and later British forces. It has also been called the Anglo-Sudan War or the Sudanese Mahdist Revolt. The British have called their part in the conflict the Sudan Campaign...
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 29 February 1884 at Battle of El Teb, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, the Commanding Officer of the 19th Hussars, Lt. Col. Percy Barrow, was severely wounded, his horse was killed and he was on the ground surrounded by the enemy. Quartermaster-Sergeant Marshall, rode to his assistance, seized his hand and dragged him through the enemy back to the regiment, saving him from certain death.
He later became quartermaster
Quartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
and captain in the 19th Hussars. In 1905, as a major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
, he became Camp Quartermaster of Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
. He retired in 1907. In 1918 he was promoted lieutenant-colonel.
His Victoria Cross is displayed in The Light Dragoons (15th/19th King's Royal Hussars) Museum Collection at the Discovery Museum, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England.