MARCHANT William

Mentioned in Despatches. Medaille Militaire (France).

Appears in the Worcester/Worcestershire Roll of Honour Book for army casualties located in Worcester Cathedral.

Malvern Gazette, Saturday 18th November 1916:
Private W. Marchant, Eastham Place, Yates Hay Road, RAMC (MID and French Medaille Militaire) has been drowned in Mesopotamia. Capt J Scott of his CCS writes:
€œYour husband had evidently gone down to bathe in the river and slipped. The stream is a most treacherous one and the current strong and he must have been carried away to the deep water. We recovered his body and he has been buried in the churchyard. A cross will be placed over his grave. I would like you to know how great our sorrow is, and how deeply we sympathise with you. He was the best and most conscientious worker we had, and it was a great joy to us all when his excellent work was recognise by a MID and the Medaille Militaire. His long stay with the hospital has allowed us to know him well and to respect him. He was always fit for any emergency and twenty-four hours ceaseless toil always found him cheerful at the end of it. It is difficult to put in words how keenly we feel his death. We will never forget how splendidly he behaved at all times and how excellently he performed his duties. I am speaking on behalf of the personnel of the unit and we ask to be permitted to mourn the loss of one of our best friends.€