Marcus George Bardwell

A Private with 2nd Divisional Supply Column, Marcus died on 6th of November 1915 at the age of 33. 

Marcus was born at Camberwell on 28 June 1882, a son of Marcus and Elizabeth Bardwell. He was baptised at Saint John the Divine Church, Kennington, on 13 September 1882, and his family lived at 82 Bishop’s Road, Lambeth. In 1891 his family lived at The School House, 1 Blo Norton Road, South Lopham, Norfolk: Marcus’ father was a schoolmaster. 

On 23 November 1897 Marcus joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class.  

On 1 January 1903 Marcus married Ethel Maud Mary Free at Saint Peter’s Church, Carlton Colville. Marcus was a seaman in the Royal Navy, and both of their addresses are simply given as Carlton Colville.

Marcus was serving in the Royal Navy when he was found to have ‘disease of bone’. He was admitted to the Royal Naval Hospital Chatham on 8 July 1909 and, on 27 July 1909, discharged with a pension.  

In 1910 Marcus and Ethel moved to Chester, Nova Scotia, where Marcus was to work as a motor-man. 

Marcus was working as a chauffeur when he enlisted in the Canadian Army at Toronto on 1 February 1915. Marcus gave his first name as George, rather than Marcus.

Initially Marcus served with the 2nd Divisional Ammunition Park, Canadian Army Service Corps. He embarked for England on 15 May 1915. Marcus was granted leave, in England, from 7 to 13 June 1915. On 1 September 1915, he was posted to the 2nd Divisional Supply Company. He arrived at Rouen, France, on 11 September 1915. 

On 4 November 1915 Marcus was injured in an accident. He was the driver of a lorry that had to be started with a crank. A convoy of lorries had gone to a rail-head and were loaded. When the convoy was ready to move off the officer in charge blew a whistle. The drivers went to crank their vehicles. As Marcus did this his lorry moved forwards and he was crushed between his lorry and the next one in the convoy. He suffered fractured ribs and a clavicle. The officer immediately had him placed in a Daimler lorry and went with him to No 2 Casualty Clearing Station, where Marcus died from his injuries on 6 November. 

Two witnesses, the other drivers of Marcus’ lorry, stated that Marcus had driven the lorry and parked in, leaving it in neutral, but when he cranked the lorry it was in a low gear which meant it lurched forward and crushed him causing his injuries. An inquest concluded that Marcus’ accident had been caused ‘by an unfortunate oversight.’  

It seems that while Marcus was in France, Ethel returned to England and lived at 106 Queens Road, Lowestoft. Later she lived at 5 Victoria Avenue, Salt, Ontario. In 1921 she married Edward Dunnett and subsequently lived at 22 Hill Road, Lowestoft.