Bernard Sanderson Marshall – Royal Flying Corps, 20 Squadron

Lieutenant Bernard Sanderson Marshall – Royal Flying Corps, 20 Squadron

Family Background

Bernard Sanderson Marshall

Bernard Sanderson Marshall, born in 1895, was the son of Henry John Marshall and Helen Sanders, who married in 1893 in Hull, Yorkshire.

1901 Census

In the 1901 Census, the Marshall family were living at 209 Eaton Crescent, Swansea.
Henry, aged 36 and Yorkshire-born, worked as a Ship Broker Agent, while his wife Helen, aged 32, was also born in Yorkshire. Their two children were Bernard, aged 6, and Vivienne L., aged 1. The household also included two servants, Sarah J. Daniel and Lillie E. Long, both aged 20.

1911 Census

By 1911 the family remained at 209 Eaton Crescent, but Bernard, now 16, was recorded as a boarder at St. Helen’s School, Abingdon.
He left the school in 1912 and began an engineering career, later starting to read for a degree shortly before the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.

Early Military Service

In September 1914, Bernard volunteered for the Royal Engineers, but in December he was commissioned into the 5^th Battalion, South Wales Borderers. After his training period, he was posted to France in 1915, serving through the harsh winter of 1915–16.

Vimy Ridge and the Award of the Military Cross

In May 1916, Bernard was wounded at Vimy Ridge. His commanding officer recommended him for the Military Cross for actions of exceptional bravery.
Despite his injuries, Bernard captured and held a crater under intense fire, remaining in position for three hours before seeking medical attention. Even then, he insisted on returning to his men through heavy fire and continued to hold the post until relief arrived the next morning.

He was invested with the Military Cross by King George V at Buckingham Palace in October 1916.

Transfer to the Royal Flying Corps

Bernard Sanderson Marshall

Following his recovery, Bernard applied for a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps and was gazetted in December 1916. After about six months of training, he earned his Wings and on 1^st June 1917 was posted to France, joining 20 Squadron, RFC.

Death in Action – 7^th June 1917

Bernard’s time as a Flying Officer was tragically short. On 7^th June 1917, during his second flight of the day, he failed to return and was initially reported missing.
Months later, his observer—who survived the incident but became a prisoner of war—reported that during an offensive patrol they engaged a formation of enemy aircraft when an anti-aircraft shell detonated nearby. The explosion struck Lieutenant Marshall on the head, killing him instantly. Their aircraft, critically damaged, crashed into a canal near Lille and sank; Bernard’s body was never recovered. The observer, injured in the fall, managed to reach the canal bank before being captured.

Commemoration and Press Reports

South Wales Daily Post

South Wales Daily Post

South Wales Daily Post

The South Wales Daily Post published multiple reports on Bernard’s disappearance, and later on the confirmation of his death.

Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects

Bernard Sanderson Marshall 
Arras Flying Services Memorial, France
credit - findagrave

His official date of death, recorded in the Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, is 7^th June 1917. He is commemorated on the Arras Flying Services Memorial, France, which honours airmen of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force who have no known grave.

South Wales Daily Post 

In January 1918, the South Wales Daily Post published a fuller account of Bernard’s loss and service.