Marshall, Mervyn Wilfred (Sergeant, b.1920-d.1942)

Collection relating to the Second Word War service of 401452 Sergeant Mervyn Wilfred Marshall, 235 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Australia, United Kingdom and Ghana, 1941-1955.

Wallet 1 of 1 – Consists of three folders of material relating to Sergeant Marshall.

Folder 1 of 3 contains letters from Sergeant Marshall to his sister and brother-in-law, Mrs Annie Merle Dabb (née Marshall) and Mr William Brian “Bill” Dabb, and his nephew Bryan Dabb. Sergeant Marshall’s letters, dated between c February 1941 and 4 November 1942, cover the period of his initial flying training in Australia, operational training in the United Kingdom, and service in West Africa with 235 Squadron. In his letters, Sergeant Marshall writes about being duty pilot at his training school, vaccinations, working hard, mastering landings, practicing aerial aerobatics, leave, getting lost during blackouts, flying Spitfire aircraft, recreational activities in West Africa, playing football with local people, recovering from malaria, seeing a visiting concert party, seeing films, and struggling with the hot weather. This folder consists of:
1x Letter from Sergeant Marshall to Mrs and Mr Dabb and Bryan Dabb, Somers, Victoria, [c early 1941].
1x Letter from Sergeant Marshall to Mrs and Mr Dabb and Bryan Dabb, [Western Junction, Tasmania], [c April 1941], [includes envelope].
1x Letter from Sergeant Marshall to Mrs and Mr Dabb, Western Junction, Tasmania, [c mid-1941].
1x Letter from Sergeant Marshall to Mrs and Mr Dabb, [Western Junction, Tasmania], [c mid-1941], [includes envelope].
1x Letter from Sergeant Marshall to Mrs and Mr Dabb, Point Cook, Victoria, [c mid-1941].
1x Letter from Sergeant Marshall to Mrs and Mr Dabb, Point Cook, Victoria, 8 June 1941.
1x Letter from Sergeant Marshall to Mrs and Mr Dabb, Gloucester, United Kingdom, 22 December 1941, [includes envelope].
1x Letter from Sergeant Marshall to Mrs and Mr Dabb, England, 12 January 1942.
1x Letter from Sergeant Marshall to Mrs and Mr Dabb, England, 20 February 1942, [includes envelope].
1x Letter from Sergeant Marshall to Mrs and Mr Dabb, Ghana, 25 May 1942, [includes envelope].
1x Letter from Sergeant Marshall to Mrs and Mr Dabb, Ghana, 26 May 1942, [includes envelope].
1x Letter from Sergeant Marshall to Mrs and Mr Dabb, Ghana, 10 July 1942.
1x Letter from Sergeant Marshall to Mrs and Mr Dabb, Ghana, 13 August 1942.
1x Letter from Sergeant Marshall to Mrs and Mr Dabb, [c mid-August 1942], [includes envelope].
1x Letter from Sergeant Marshall to Mrs and Mr Dabb, Takoradi, Ghana, 14 September 1942.
1x Letter from Sergeant Marshall to Mrs and Mr Dabb, Takoradi, Ghana, 20 September 1942, [includes envelope].
1x Letter from Sergeant Marshall to Mrs and Mr Dabb, Takoradi, Ghana, 8 October 1942, [includes envelope].
1x Letter from Sergeant Marshall to Mrs and Mr Dabb, Takoradi, Ghana, 15 October 1942.
1x Letter from Sergeant Marshall to Mrs and Mr Dabb, Takoradi, Ghana, 2 November 1942, [includes envelope].
1x Letter from Sergeant Marshall to Mrs and Mr Dabb, Takoradi, Ghana, 4 November 1942, [includes envelope]
3x Envelopes from Sergeant Marshall to Mrs Dabb, Africa, c. October-November 1942.

Folder 2 of 3 contains official correspondence, telegraphs from family members to Sergeant Marshall, condolence letters, and photographs. It consists of:
1x Letter from a Recruiting Officer for the Royal Australian Air Force to Mervyn Wilfred Marshall, Melbourne, Victoria, 11 July 1940.
6x Telegraphs from Mrs Annie Merle Dabb to Sergeant Marshall, Burwood, Victoria, 21 April-30 September 1942. In her telegraphs, Mrs Dabb sends her love, encouragement and well wishes.
1x Typed extract of letter from Mr A E Turner to Mr H T Craig, London, [date unknown]. In his letter, Mr Turner writes about his friendship with Sergeant Marshall and significant moments in his career as a pilot.
1x Poem regarding the death of a loved one, [writer unknown], [date unknown].
1x Thanks for Sympathy card, Mr and Mrs David Marshall, [c November 1942].
1x Sympathy card from Mr and Mrs Callon to Mrs Dabb, Hawthorn, Victoria, November 1942.
1x Photograph of Sergeant Marshall.
6x Copies of photographs of Sergeant Marshall and his grave.
1x Christmas card from Sergeant Marshall’s brother, Sergeant John Keith 'Jack' Marshall, to Mr and Mrs Dabb, 1943.

Folder 3 of 3 contains 13 newspaper clippings relating to servicemen who had died on active service, collected by Mrs Annie Merle Dabb, 1941-1955.

Sergeant Mervyn Wilfred Marshall enlisted to the Royal Australian Air Force on 3 February 1941. He completed his flying training in Australia and the United Kingdom, and qualified as a fighter pilot. Sergeant Marshall went on to serve with 234 Squadron, and transferred to West Africa to fly Hurricane aircraft with the Royal Air Force Defence Flight, based at Takoradi, Ghana. On 13 November 1942, while on a patrol, Sergeant Marshall’s Hurricane aircraft caught fire in flight over Accra, Ghana. Although he bailed out successfully, his parachute failed to open properly and he did not survive. Sergeant Marshall is buried at Christiansborg War Cemetery, Ghana.