Charles Alfred Marquand (1895-1950)

1915

Wyndham City Libraries

text

eng

Charles Alfred Marquand

1591

Herbert Marquand
Father

Doherty's Road, Truganina

Single

Werribee Cemetery

No.1591  Private Charles Alfred Marquand
Charles Alfred Marquand was born at Footscray on 26 August 1895 to Herbert Marquand and Edith Adora Harden.  They had married at Trentham, Victoria, in 1895.  At the time of Charles' enlistment, his father was a road contractor, working in the western suburbs of Melbourne.

His siblings were:

• Herbert Marquand (Jnr) - born 1897 at Footscray (applied to enlist but did not serve)
• Henry Roy Marquand - born 1899 at Hotham East
• Gladys May Marquand - born 1902 at Footscray
• Leslie Edward Marquand - born 1910 at Sunbury

Pre War
After leaving school, Charles worked on his parent's farm at Tarneit, near Werribee.

War Service
Charles Marquand enlisted in the A.I.F. at Melbourne on 24 August 1915 and was sent to the training camp at Broadmeadows in Melbourne.  On 8 September 1915, both of Charles' parents gave their written consent for their son to enlist in the Australian Imperial Forces, and for him to serve overseas.

Between 15 September 1915 and 11 October 1915, he was attached to the 23rd Depot Battalion at Royal Park, after which he went to the Light Horse Depot at Seymour.

He completed his initial training on 5 November 1915, and was appointed to the 12th Reinforcements for the 8th Light Horse Regiment.  Then, one week later, at the age of 20 years, Trooper Marquand embarked from Melbourne per HMAT Ascanius A11, on 10 November 1915, with the 3rd Light Horse Brigade’s, 8th Light Horse Regiment, 12th Reinforcements.

After arriving in Egypt, he reported for duty with the 8th Regiment at Heliopolis on 16 December 1915.  The 8th Ligth Horse Regiment didn't return from the Gallipoli Campaign until after 20 December 1915.

In March 1916, the 3rd Light Horse Brigade became part of the ANZAC Mounted Division, and were deployed to defend the Suez Canal from the Turkish Forces who were crossing the Sinai Desert.  On 26 February 1916, they marched out of their camp at Heliopolis, and relocated to Serapeum.

After the Turks were defeated at Romani, the 8th Light Horse Regiment were part of the advance, that followed the Turkish retreat back across the desert.

In December 1916, they had reached the Palestine frontier, and on 23 December 1916, the 8th Light Horse participated in the capture of the Turkish outpost of Maghdaba.  Then followed two abortive battles to capture Gaza (on 27 March and 19 April 1917).  The Regiment were located at Abasan in southern Palestine in July 1917, before moving to Marakeb in August 1917.

While they were there, Trooper Marquand took time out to successfully complete the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's (E.E.F.) Number 28 Course, on the Hotchkiss Heavy Machine Gun "A".

After several months of planning and training, the regiment left its base at Un Urgan and participated in a successful outflanking move (via Beersheba), to capture Gaza.

Gaza was taken on 7 November 1917, and the 8th Light Horse then moved on to participate in the capture of Jerusalem.

Charles Marquand was promoted in rank on several occasions during the war.  He was first appointed as Lance Corporal on 3 December 1917.  At this time his regiment were in the front line at El Burj.

In January 1918, the 8th Light Horse Regiment were operating near Belah in the Gaza Strip.  While here, at the end of February 1918, Lance Corporal Marquand was then granted two weeks leave at the Port Said Rest Camp.  A photograph of this austere site is at https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C3822

The 8th Light Horse remained at Belah for several months, before they were moved to Selmeh.  It was here that the 8th Light Horse Regiment participated in a successful attack on Es-Salt, commencing on 30 April 1918.
A photograph of the town after it had been captured is at https://oldsite.awm.gov.au/collection/B00110/

In early May 1918, the fighting had moved to the Jordan Valley, and the regiment had relocated to Wadi-el-Auja.  Then in June 1918, they were moved to Solomon's Pools.

Lance Corporal Marquand was appointed as a Temporary Corporal between 15 and 27 August 1918, while his unit was in action at Madhbeh, in the Jordan Valley.

The 8th Light Horse were part of a large offensive along the coast, which began on 19 September 1918.  They helped to capture the city of Tiberius on 25 September 1918 and Sasa on 29 September 1918.  Damascus was captured on 1 October 1918, and the Turkish Army surrendered on 31 October 1918.
[Lawrence of Arabia and his Arab troops entered Damascus, just after the 3rd Australian Light Horse Brigade, on the morning of 1 October 1918.  Among them was Lance Corporal Marquand]

Just after Damascus was taken Charles Marquand was admitted to the 54th Hospital *  at Haifar, on 4h October 1918. No reason was recorded on his service file, but it could have been an attack of malaria. **

News of the official Armistice with Turkey was received at the 8th Light Horse when they were bivouacked outside the city of Homs, on 1 November 1918.  Two days later, Trooper Marquand was transferred to the 3rd Light Horse Training Regiment (L.H.T.R.) at Moascar (at the southern end of the Suez Canal).

The Armistice to end the war was declared on 11 November 1918, and Lance Corporal Marquand remained with the Training Regiment until March 1919.  While there, he was admitted to the No.2 Australian Stationary Hospital (2 A.S.H.) at Moascar between 22 and 31 December 1918, suffering with malaria.

He remained with the Training Regiment until 4 March 1919, when he returned to the 8th Light Horse Regiment at Moascar in Ismailia.  "Owing to trouble with the natives", the regiment relocated to Zagazig on 17 March 1919, where they protected the railway line between Moascar and Minet el Gamh.[After the Armistice (on 11 November 1918), the 8th Light Horse were recalled to duty to quell the Egyptian Revolt, which began in March 1919.  Once order had been restored, the 8th Light Horse returned to Australia on 3 July 1919.]

The regiment remained in the area, making regular patrols until early June 1919, when they returned to Moascar.  In recognition of his good work, Charles Marquand of "C" Squadron, Egyptian Expeditionary Force, was promoted to Temporary Sergeant on 10 May 1919.

On 3 July 1919, the 8th Light Horse Regiment embarked at Kantara per H.M.T. Malta for their return voyage to Australia. After a stopover at Colombo between 15 and 18 July 1919, their ship docked at Fremantle on 30 July 1919.  One week later, on 7 August 1919, their ship docked at Port Melbourne. The unit War Diary concludes with "So with a 'Good-bye, Jack.' Or a 'Good luck, Tom.'  We pick up our kits and once more set off Home to re-enter civil life, but to ever have with us the memory of the GOOD OLD EIGHTH."

Sergeant Charles Marquand was discharged from the A.I.F. at the 3rd Military District in Melbourne on 14^h November 1919.

Post War
At a function held in Werribee in December 1919, former Sergeant C. A. Marquand was presented with a Werribee Gold Medal. 
Werribee Shire Banner, 11 December 1919, p.2. 
It was noted that he had served in Palestine with the 8th Light Horse Regiment.

Referring to the Victorian Electoral Rolls, between 1921 and 1925, Charles A. Marquand was a Farm Labourer, living at Tarneit.  His parents Herbert and Edith, and brother Roy Henry Marquand, were nearby at Truganina.

Charles married Florence Mary McKenzie in 1927 and they lived on the land at Tarneit (Certificate 9200/1927) until 1942. In that year they are shown as living at 18 Somerville Road in Yarraville, where Charles was employed as a Munitions Worker.

The Electoral Roll for 1949 shows that the couple had moved back to Rose Grange at Tarneit, and that Charles was again working as a farmer.

Charles Marquand died at Tarneit on 11 February 1950, at the young age of 54 years.  He was buried at the Werribee Cemetery.  A short obituary was printed in the Werribee Shire Banner, 16 February 1950, p.2., which said that he had been a leading figure in many district organisations.  He left a wife and three children to mourn their loss.

Two Death Notices were published in The Argus, 13 February 1950, p.10, which identified his children as Douglas Marquand, Valerie Marquand and Alan Marquand.

Probate was granted on his will on 21 April 1952.

Medals and Entitlements:

• 1914-15 Star
• British War Medal
• Victory Medal

Notes
Name on the Werribee Shire Oak Board: "Marquand, C.A."

The name "Marquand, C.A.", and his brother "Marquand, Herbert" first appeared in the Roll of Honor, Werribee Shire Banner, 6 April 1916, p.1.  Herbert's name was later dropped.

Photograph of C. A. Marquand taken at Broadmeadows Camp at https://oldsite.awm.gov.au/collection/DASEY2474/

Brother Herbert applied to enlist, but did not serve.

Other Werribee men who served in the 8th Light Horse were: 

• No 542  Trooper A H Moreton from Little River
• No 550  Trooper J R Fullarton from Balliang East
• No 3348  Sapper B Maher from Laverton

* The 54th Hospital was possibly part of the 54th [East Anglian] Division, who took part in the campaign. See The Egyptian Expeditionary Force in World War 1 by Michael J. Mortlock, p. 214.

Embarkation
https://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/

Unit War Diary
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection

Service Record
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/

Pioneer Index 1837-1888 CD
Federation Index 1889-1901 CD
Edwardian Index 1902-1913 CD
Great War Index 1914-1920 CD
Marriage Index 1921-1942 CD

1914-15 Star

British War Medal

Victory Medal