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Captain Philip Everard Graham MARSH MC
Army Service Corps, 1/4th Battalion Border Regiment and 7th Training Depot Station, Royal Air Force Date of birth: 2nd January 1895 Date of death: 20th December 1918 Killed on active service aged 23 Buried at St Mary Magdalene Church, Wethersfield
Philip Everard Graham Marsh was born at Bangalore in India on the 2nd of January 1895 the only son of Major Henry Graham Marsh OL, 19th Hussars, and Alice Violet (nee Hughes-Hallett) Marsh of Danes Vale, Wethersfield in Essex. He was christened at the Holy Trinity Church, Bangalore on the 6th of February 1895. He was educated at the United Services College, Bognor Regis from 1906 to 1906 and at Middleton House School, Bognor Regis from 1906 to 1907. He went on to Lancing College where he was in News House from the 1st of May 1907 and in Fields House from September 1912 until July 1913. He was a Sergeant in the Officer Training Corps and was appointed as a House Captain in 1912. While still at school he took the examination for the Royal Military College at Sandhurst November 1912 which he followed with a formal application on the 27th of March 1913. he failed the exam, mainly due to a weakness in his French. In June 1913 the Reverend Bowlby, Headmaster of Lancing College, wrote the following : - "Has made good progress thanks to steady industry since his report in January and should now hold his own in all regular Sandhurst subjects. His weakness in French has been remedied by studying in France last holidays. My opinion remains unchanged, indeed it has strengthened by the excellent tone he was taken as House Captain during the last 2 years in one of which his Housemaster was absent through ill health. He is ready for Sandhurst and should regret delay for his sake!" He successfully retook the exam in June and underwent a medical examination in London on the 8th of July 1913 where it was recorded that he was five feet nine and one half inches tall and that he weighed 139lbs. On leaving the College he expressed a preference on the 6th of August 1914 firstly for a commission in the Army Service Corps, then the Royal Fusiliers and finally for the Essex Regiment. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Service Corps on the 15th of August 1914. He embarked for service in France with 6th Division on the 10th of September 1914. He was promoted to Captain on the 1st of February 1916. He was awarded the Military Cross, which was announced in the King's Birthday Honours List of the 3rd of June 1916 and was mentioned in despatches. He served for a short time with the 1/4th Battalion Border Regiment. From the 26th of June 1918 he attended the School of Aeronautics and on the 17th of August 1918 he was posted to No 7 Training Depot Station based at Feltwell Aerodrome in Norfolk. He graduated as Category B on the 15th of November and was granted the rank of Honorary Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force. On the 12th of December he was appointed as an Assistant Instructor. He was killed, along with his mechanic, Air Mechanic 1st Class 22231 Alfred Charles Sellwood, when his aircraft, Avro BE2E 5822, was in collision with another aircraft over the airfield. His funeral took place at Wethersfield Parish Churchon Christmas Eve. The Lancing Roll gives his date of death incorrectly as the 30th of December. He was married to Eileen Ruth (nee Maconchy) at St Peter's Church, Bayswater on the 18th of April 1918; they had a daughter, Leonie Graham born on the 1st of September 1919. His widow applied for his medals in June 1919 while she was living at 40 Ovington Road London SW3. He is commemorated on the war memorial tablet in the north aisle at All Saints Church at Theydon Garnon in Essex and on the war memorial at the Royal Military College Sandhurst.

Fields House