Help identifying Lt. Col. J.F.H. Marsh D.S.O.'s medals & army record from photo & documents

[Brockton Genealogy]

Good afternoon, 

I just wondered if anyone could be so good as to shed light on the following unknowns:-

1. What is the blurred object in the centre of the newspaper clipping I've circled in red?

2. I think from reading an old newspaper obituary, the medals he's wearing are the D.S.O., WWI 1914-15 Star, WWI War & Victory Medals and not sure why he received it, but a "Order of the Nile - 4th Class" at the end - so is this correct and what would this last medal have been for? 

3. I can understand some of his army record card, but some of the entries in the remarks part especially are a complete mystery, so any help piecing together his army career, would again be most welcome. 

Many thanks,

Mike 

[CorporalPunishment]

1 hour ago, Brockton Genealogy said:

Good afternoon, 

I just wondered if anyone could be so good as to shed light on the following unknowns:-

1. What is the blurred object in the centre of the newspaper clipping I've circled in red?

2. I think from reading an old newspaper obituary, the medals he's wearing are the D.S.O., WWI 1914-15 Star, WWI War & Victory Medals and not sure why he received it, but a "Order of the Nile - 4th Class" at the end - so is this correct and what would this last medal have been for? 

3. I can understand some of his army record card, but some of the entries in the remarks part especially are a complete mystery, so any help piecing together his army career, would again be most welcome. 

Many thanks,

Mike 

The "blurred object" is a crossbelt plate and possibly for the 8th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment (Isle of Wight Rifles). You are correct on the medals, the last one being awarded for services to the Egyptian Government.        Pete.

[Brockton Genealogy]

Many thanks, Pete, that’s most useful! Mike

[Andrew Upton]

2 hours ago, Brockton Genealogy said:

...1. What is the blurred object in the centre of the newspaper clipping I've circled in red?

2. I think from reading an old newspaper obituary, the medals he's wearing are the D.S.O., WWI 1914-15 Star, WWI War & Victory Medals and not sure why he received it, but a "Order of the Nile - 4th Class" at the end - so is this correct and what would this last medal have been for?...

 

An example of the plate in wear:

 

And the Order of the Nile:

[Brockton Genealogy]

Excellent, Andrew, that’s much appreciated, and has allowed me to learn something new. Many thanks, Mike

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, Brockton Genealogy said:

Excellent, Andrew, that’s much appreciated, and has allowed me to learn something new. Many thanks, Mike

The pouch belt, as it was officially known, was a special feature of rifle regiments and worn by only the officers and sergeants and above. As well as the regular rifle regiments at one time all the auxiliary units of civilian rifle volunteers wore that item of regalia too, so hence the Isle of Wight Rifles.  Here are some more pictures of their insignia.

Edited 4 March by FROGSMILE

[Brockton Genealogy]

Brilliant ‘Frogsmile’! I appreciate you sending me the images and sharing your knowledge with me. Best regards, Mike

[Bartimeus]

Lt. Col. Marsh's medals are held by the Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum, matching the five identified earlier in the thread.

His Order of the Nile (4th Class) was announced in the London Gazette dated 26 November 1919, in a substantial list of officers of the British and Indian Armies recognised by the Sultan of Egypt. There will not be any recommendation giving a specific reason for the award; the General Officer Commanding in the Middle East would have been advised that he had a certain number of awards of various classes to distribute and a list of deserving candidates would have been generated.

Lt. Col. Marsh had served in the campaign against the Ottoman Empire without interruption since his arrival on the Gallipoli Peninsula as a company commander with 1/8th Hampshire Regiment in August 1915. He had succeeded to the battalion's command there after three officers senior to him had successively been evacuated to hospital; reverted to second-in-command during the year of training and garrison work in Egypt that followed; then took command again in March 1917, and retained it for the whole of the remainder of the war. After the armistice he took his battalion to Khartoum, and stayed on when he was offered a post as a district commissioner, which he held until he resigned in 1927.

He is a good example of an officer whose latent military qualities were brought out by the war. Prior to 1914 he had been articled to his father, an Isle of Wight solicitor, with less than three years' experience as a subaltern in his local Territorial Force battalion under his belt. He was really the mainstay of 1/8th Battalion throughout its four years of active service; the only other officer to stay with it during the whole period was its Quarter Master.

Bart   

[Brockton Genealogy]

Hi Bart,

Many thanks for all that information, which is fascinating to read, and great to hear that his medals reside at the Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum. 
 

My connection to him is through his wife, Mary Louise Brockton, who he married in 1927. She an accomplished equestrian, and daughter of the racehorse breeder, William Rippon Brockton.
 

After their marriage they lived in the locality of her upbringing - Farndon, Nottinghamshire, and it’s from this Rippon-Brockton family that I descend. 
 

Wishing you a good day,

Mike

[Bartimeus]

Hi Mike

Interested to hear of your connection, and I think you have answered a question I had wondered about - why such an evidently capable man had apparently not worked again after his retirement from Sudan government service, though aged only in his mid-forties. It seems he had married well, and probably didn't need to !

In case it's of interest, here are some other photos - at Territorial camps in 1913 and 1914; in the desert in July 1917; and in his new job in the Sudan, 1920.

Bart

 

[Brockton Genealogy]

Hi Bart,

Yes you’re spot on, he married into money, two of the other Brockton sisters been married to aristocrats. 
 

The photos will I’m sure be of interest to Lt Cmdr Patrick Dalzel-Job’s son, Major Dalzel Job a retired member of the Scott’s Guards. His father Patrick having worked for Ian Fleming in 30 AU, and credited as being part of the Bond mix! 
 

All of us genetically, as a result of the Brockton’s wanting to keep the money in the family, and intermarrying having more Brockton DNA than any other of our ancestors!
 

By the way, could I ask where you got the photos from and if I could use them, please? 
 

Thanks again,

Mike

[Bartimeus]

Hi Mike

I have an interest in his regiment, the photos are amongst material I have gathered over the years.

If you would like to let me know an email address by private message I can send better copies, plus some others.

Here's a rather blurry picture including the medals at bottom, cropped from one of an old display at the museum:

Bart

[Brockton Genealogy]

Ok thanks, Bart!
 

Fingers crossed you’ve got it.

All the best,

Mike