- SURNAME
Marshall
- FORENAME
Lionel Guy Bradford
- UNIT
40 Commando
- RANK
Captain
- NUMBER
- DATE OF DEATH
3rd February 1945
- AGE
27
- GRAVESITE
Bari War Cemetery,Italy VII.D.4
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
son of Harry Guy and Florence Edna Marshall,Tealby,Lincolnshire
HQ Special Service Group December 1943-April 1944
40 Commando June 1944
award M.C.and bar
DOW Sarabande,Dalmatian Islands
DATE OF DEATH:
03-Feb-1945AWARD:
https://www.specialforcesroh.com/index.php?threads/marshall-lionel-guy-bradford.28495/CITATION:
Military Cross : TERMOLI 3/10/43.
At about 0830hrs. Capt.Marshall was ordered to advance with his Troop to the road Junction at 7977. On starting off his troop was held up by machine gun fire from the left, which was coming from the vicinity of a ridge. He himself took two sections consisting of 16 men in order to deal with the situation and sent the remainder of his troop round to the right to continue the advance guard. When Capt.Marshall located the enemy he found they were about 40 strong and their fire power consisted of 2 M.G. 's and 6 L.M.G.'s. He, at once realising that he had been seen and the enemy had a greater fire power ordered his two sections into line and leading his men made a bayonet charge on the position with his Brens and automatics being fired from the hip. In spite of heavy fire no casualties were sustained in Capt. Marshall's party, due entirely to the force and determination of the attack, completely demoralising the enemy, 10 Germans were killed, 8 wounded, and 20 taken prisoner. The extremely courageous leadership of Capt.Marshall was instrumental in the complete success of the attack, and the annhialation of this position enabled the advance to continue without delay.
Military Cross (Bar) : 22.2.1.44. Crossing of the Garigliano.
Capt Marshall was in command of two Troops who were ordered to go to Rotondo. During the night advance one Troop became separated. This officer carried on with his depleted force about two miles behind the enemy lines for 36 hours. During which time lines of communication were cut, four enemy strong posts were wiped out and important information as to the location of an ammunition dump and a tank forming up position was brought back. At one time Capt. Marshall's force was pinned to the ground by fire from tanks. The only line of withdrawal for his force was across a road into a gully. The road was covered by fire from the leading tank. Capt. Marshall himself worked his way round to the tank and armed only with a pistol jumped on to the tank and tried to attack the crew inside. This diversion was sufficient to cause the tank to withdraw, and thus leave the line of withdrawal open to Capt. Marshall's patrol. Throughout this operation Capt. Marshall displayed very great powers of leadership and initiative, and he was instrumental in that the force sustained very few casualties, although causing considerable disruption to the enemy.
At about 0830hrs. Capt.Marshall was ordered to advance with his Troop to the road Junction at 7977. On starting off his troop was held up by machine gun fire from the left, which was coming from the vicinity of a ridge. He himself took two sections consisting of 16 men in order to deal with the situation and sent the remainder of his troop round to the right to continue the advance guard. When Capt.Marshall located the enemy he found they were about 40 strong and their fire power consisted of 2 M.G. 's and 6 L.M.G.'s. He, at once realising that he had been seen and the enemy had a greater fire power ordered his two sections into line and leading his men made a bayonet charge on the position with his Brens and automatics being fired from the hip. In spite of heavy fire no casualties were sustained in Capt. Marshall's party, due entirely to the force and determination of the attack, completely demoralising the enemy, 10 Germans were killed, 8 wounded, and 20 taken prisoner. The extremely courageous leadership of Capt.Marshall was instrumental in the complete success of the attack, and the annhialation of this position enabled the advance to continue without delay.
Military Cross (Bar) : 22.2.1.44. Crossing of the Garigliano.
Capt Marshall was in command of two Troops who were ordered to go to Rotondo. During the night advance one Troop became separated. This officer carried on with his depleted force about two miles behind the enemy lines for 36 hours. During which time lines of communication were cut, four enemy strong posts were wiped out and important information as to the location of an ammunition dump and a tank forming up position was brought back. At one time Capt. Marshall's force was pinned to the ground by fire from tanks. The only line of withdrawal for his force was across a road into a gully. The road was covered by fire from the leading tank. Capt. Marshall himself worked his way round to the tank and armed only with a pistol jumped on to the tank and tried to attack the crew inside. This diversion was sufficient to cause the tank to withdraw, and thus leave the line of withdrawal open to Capt. Marshall's patrol. Throughout this operation Capt. Marshall displayed very great powers of leadership and initiative, and he was instrumental in that the force sustained very few casualties, although causing considerable disruption to the enemy.
WEB LINKS:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7369979
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