Marshall, Henry Charles David (Major, b.1905 - d.1971)

Places	Africa: Egypt Africa: North Africa, Libya, Cyrenaica Africa: North Africa, Libya, Cyrenaica, Bardia Area, Bardia Africa: North Africa, Libya, Cyrenaica, Tobruk Area, Tobruk Europe: Germany Europe: Germany, Spangenberg Europe: Greece Europe: Greece, Crete Middle East Middle East: Syria Oceania: Australia
Accession Number	PR03058
Collection type	Private Record
Record type	Collection
Measurement	Extent: 8 cm; Wallet/s: 5
Object type	Memoir, Map, Photograph
Maker	Marshall, Henry Charles David
Place made	Australia, Germany, Germany: Lubeck
Date made	1939-1945; c.2000
Access	Open
Conflict	Second World War, 1939-1945
Copying Provisions	Copyright restrictions apply. Only personal, non-commercial, research and study use permitted. Permission of copyright holder required for any commercial use and/or reproduction.

Description

Collection relating to the Second World War service of VX34 Major Henry Charles David Marshall, DSO, ED, 2/7 Infantry Battalion, 1939-1945.

The collection consists of fifteen handwritten booklets of memoirs, written by Major Marshall during his time as a prisoner of war in Germany, and one bound transcript of extracts from the memoirs he addressed to his wife. The inside of the cover of the first booklet reads “This book is private and for the perusal of my wife only. It is not to be shown to anyone without my permission.” The memoirs describe his experiences in Palestine, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Greece and Crete; his capture by Austrian Mounted Troops in 1941; his life as a prisoner of war at Oflag IX-A/H located in Spangenberg, 1941-1945. Marshall recounts the operations of the 2/7 Infantry Battalion and complements his text with personal observations on his surrounds, the people he had contact with, daily events and his feelings. The booklets contain photographs, plans and cuttings and information about Oflag IX-A/H including the library, orchestra, rations, recipes, and cast list for King Henry V, produced by men in the camp. Interesting features of the memoirs are the coloured hand-drawn maps of movements of the 2/7 Infantry Battalion at Bardia, Crete and Tobruk; photographs with captions including personnel at the camp and hand drawn plans of Oflag IX A-H.

Some wallets in the collection have been digitised and are available online.

History / Summary

Major Marshall compiled the original document as a journal, addressing his comments to his wife. Inside the cover of the first of the fifteen journals Marshal wrote: "This book is private and for the perusal of my wife only. It is not to be shown to anyone without my permission. [Signed] H. C. Marshall."