1939-45 Star; War Medal 1939-45; Army Long Service & Good Conduct Medal clasp Regular Army (5568241 CPL. E. MARSH. WILTS.); Police Exemplary Service Medal (CONSTABLE ERNEST MARSH) - with Commemorative medals for Dunkirk and King Albert I Belgian Cross
Ernest Marsh was born in Swindon, Wiltshire in 1916. He enlisted with the 2nd Battalion Wiltshire Regiment in 1931 and saw service with them in WWII. He was taken Prisoner of War at Arras in the run-up to the evacuation of Dunkirk and was held at various POW camps in Germany and Poland, spending 5 years at Stalag XXB Marienburg from November 1940 until 18 February 1945. He was probably on the Long March which started around February 1945 where the Germans moved the prisoners westwards to evade the advancing Russian Army.
After being repatriated to the UK, Marsh completed the Questionnaire by Ex-Prisoners of war in May 1945 wherein he provided details of where he was held etc. Army LSGC Army Order 14/50. Date of Qualification: 26/04/1949. He joined the Police Force at some point and was awarded their Exemplary Service Medal to go with his Army LSGC.
