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Remembrance
- The Yorkshire Regiment, First World War Major Leslie Hanson MARRIAGE Close window to return to main page |
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Major Leslie Hanson MARRIAGE, MC
Major Leslie Hanson Marriage
The following information on Major Leslie Hanson Marriage is taken from M L Ferrar's "Officers of the Green Howards, 1688 - 1931";-
Born at Chelmsford, 15th July, 1892, son of Jacob Marriage.
2nd Lieut., 20th September, 1911 ; Lieut., 2nd September, 1914; Capt., 1st
January, 1917 ; retired, with rank of Major. 25th September 1922.
Went to the front with the 2nd Battn., and was wounded near Ypres on 29th
October 1914 (bronze star and clasp).
Served with the Motor Machine Gun Corps from 10th August, 1915, in France,
and was wounded (shell shock) in March, 1916.
Commanded a Cadet battalion at home from November, 1916, till appointed to
the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in November, 1917, and was at the crossing
of the River Auja with the 52nd Division in December, and in the fighting
on the Sinjil ridge, and at Burj Badavile with the 74th Division in March,
1918. Appointed 2nd in command of the 74th Battalion M.G.C., 74th Division,
in April, and moved with it to France the same month, taking part in the battle
of the Somme from Albert to the Hindenburg line, in September, 1918, including
the capture of Lille and Tournai in October and November.
Promoted acting Lieut.-Col. of the battalion in December, 1918. Volunteered
for service in North Russia, for which he sailed in May, 1919, and took part
in the various actions on the Dvina river and railway sector with the 8th
Battn. Machine Gun Corps up to the end of the campaign (Military Cross, silver
and bronze medals). Served in Ireland during the rebellion.
The information below is provided by John Hamblin (<jc.hamblin@btopenworld.com>);-
2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) Motor Machine Gun Section
He was born on the 15th of July 1892 the son of Jacob Marriage of Oxted Surrey. He left Hazelwood School at Christmas 1904 for Marlborough College where he was educated from January 1905 to Easter 1910. In the summer of 1910 he passed into the Royal Military College Sandhurst, leaving in late 1911 and being commissioned on the 20th of September as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Yorkshire Regiment.
He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 2nd of September 1914 and sailed to France with his battalion on the 4th of October 1914 on the SS “California” landing in Zeebrugge.
He was engaged in the heavy fighting around Ypres and was wounded on the 29th of October when a German attack forced the regiment on the Yorkshire’s right out of their trenches. In the subsequent counter attack “the enemy simply poured shrapnel into us and our casualties were heavy”. Despite this the battalion forced the Germans back and gained another 200 yards of ground. His wound was reported in the Times of the 16th of November 1914. While he recovered he was posted to Bisley.
He served with the Motor Machine Gun Section from the 10th of August 1915 and was wounded in March 1916 with shell shock. He commanded a cadet battalion at home from November 1916 being promoted to Captain on the 1st of January 1917. He was appointed to the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in November 1917 and he was at the crossing of the Auja River with 52nd Division in December and in the fighting at Sinjil Ridge at Burj Badavile with the 74th Division in March 1918.
In April 1918 he was appointed 2nd in command of the 74th Battalion of the Machine Gun Corps returning to France with the 74th Division in the same month he took part in the fighting from Albert to the Hindenburg Line in September 1918. He also took part in the capture of Lille and Tournai in October and November 1918.
In December 1918 he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the battalion and volunteered for service in Northern Russia for which he sailed in May 1919. he took part in various actions on the Dvina River with the 8th Battalion Machine Gun Corps up until the end of the campaign. He was awarded the Military Cross in 1920 retiring from the army with the rank of Major on the 25th of September 1922 and living at 69 Courtfield Gardens London SW2.
He was married to May Helen (nee Smither) on the 10th of November 1926 at Claydon Suffolk. He died on the 2nd of May 1935.
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