Albert Marshall
Encyclopedia
Albert Elliot "Smiler" Marshall (March 15, 1897 in Elmstead Market
, Essex
- May 16, 2005 in Ashtead, Surrey
) was a British
veteran of the First World War
and the last surviving British cavalry
man to have seen battle on the Western Front
.
Joining up with the Essex Yeomanry
in 1915, at the age of 17, after lying about his age, he took part in his first major battle at Loos
in the same year. In March 1917, "Smiler" was shot in the hand and sent back home. On his return, he joined the Machine Gun Corps
. He then fought at Cambrai. Later, he was captured by the Germans
, but freed because they were short of rations.
After the war, he volunteered for duty in Ireland
, and was stationed near Dublin. After being demobbed in 1921, he married Florence, with whom he had five children. He was survived by one son, 12 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren on his death in May 2005 at the age of 108.
In the final decade of his life, "Smiler" was awarded the Légion d'honneur
, appeared on numerous TV shows, attended the veterans' party at Buckingham Palace
and took part in three pilgrimage
s to battlefields of the war, including one to mark the 80th anniversary of the Third Battle of Ypres.
His nickname "Smiler" came about because he threw a snowball at a drill sergeant who threatened to "give him something to smile about". This happened during his basic training at Stanway
. Whilst doing physical jerks (the rest are his own words) "Sergeant Beavis of Clacton-on-Sea
said 'Trunk forward, bend!', I bent down, and I was a bit of a lad - threw a snowball at the row in front and it hit a chap up the behind. He jumped up, and so did two or three of the others. 'Ah! Very funny!very funny indeed!
Elmstead Market
Elmstead Market is a village in the Tendring district of Essex. It lies 3 km northeast of Wivenhoe and 6 km east of Colchester. It is on the A133 road which until a few years ago was the main road to Clacton, Frinton and Harwich...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
- May 16, 2005 in Ashtead, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
) was a 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...
veteran of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the last surviving British cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
man to have seen battle on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
.
Joining up with the Essex Yeomanry
Essex Yeomanry
The Essex Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army raised in 1797. The regiment recruited volunteers from the county of Essex in the East of England.-Origins:...
in 1915, at the age of 17, after lying about his age, he took part in his first major battle at Loos
Battle of Loos
The Battle of Loos was one of the major British offensives mounted on the Western Front in 1915 during World War I. It marked the first time the British used poison gas during the war, and is also famous for the fact that it witnessed the first large-scale use of 'new' or Kitchener's Army...
in the same year. In March 1917, "Smiler" was shot in the hand and sent back home. On his return, he joined the Machine Gun Corps
Machine Gun Corps
The Machine Gun Corps was a corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front in World War I. The Heavy Branch of the MGC was the first to use tanks in combat, and the branch was subsequently turned into the Tank...
. He then fought at Cambrai. Later, he was captured by the Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, but freed because they were short of rations.
After the war, he volunteered for duty in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and was stationed near Dublin. After being demobbed in 1921, he married Florence, with whom he had five children. He was survived by one son, 12 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren on his death in May 2005 at the age of 108.
In the final decade of his life, "Smiler" was awarded the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
, appeared on numerous TV shows, attended the veterans' party at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
and took part in three pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
s to battlefields of the war, including one to mark the 80th anniversary of the Third Battle of Ypres.
His nickname "Smiler" came about because he threw a snowball at a drill sergeant who threatened to "give him something to smile about". This happened during his basic training at Stanway
Stanway, Essex
Stanway is a village and civil parish in Essex, England located near Colchester. It is now widely referred to as a suburb.Stanway is located approximately three miles west of Colchester town centre on the B1408 , near the junction of the A12 and the A1124 at Eight Ash Green...
. Whilst doing physical jerks (the rest are his own words) "Sergeant Beavis of Clacton-on-Sea
Clacton-on-Sea
Clacton-on-Sea is the largest town on the Tendring peninsula, in Essex, England and was founded in 1871. It is a seaside resort that attracted many tourists in the summer months between the 1950s and 1970s, but which like many other British sea-side resorts went into decline as a holiday...
said 'Trunk forward, bend!', I bent down, and I was a bit of a lad - threw a snowball at the row in front and it hit a chap up the behind. He jumped up, and so did two or three of the others. 'Ah! Very funny!very funny indeed!
Further reading
- Arthur, Max. The Last Post (2005) ISBN 0-297-84644-2