MARSHALL Alfred Ernest

Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross, Distinguished Flying Medal.

Alfred Marshall was born in Portsmouth and attended Worcester Royal Grammar School from 1927 to 1930. After working in a factory he enlisted as an aircraft apprentice in 1931. During May 1940 he joined 73 Squadron in France and took part in the defence of Dunkirk. On returning to England he fought during the Battle of Britain prior to being posted to the Western Desert in November 1940. It was here that he achieved the most number of kills, shooting down 13 enemy aircraft, which led to him being awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal.  At Benghazi he captured an Italian flag which his mother later donated to the school as a token of his affectionate memories of the time he spent there.

Following his commission he flew Kittyhawks with 250 Squadron with whom he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for successfully shooting down further enemy aircraft. His shooting down of a total of 19 and a half enemy aircraft earned him the distinction of being classified a fighter ‘ace’.

Returning to England, Alfred joined the 51 OUT as an instructor where he remained until July 1944. He was then posted to 25 Squadron where he flew Mosquitoes in night operations. Having shot down a V1 he spent the later months of 1944 hunting He111s, which were launching V1s over the North Sea, shooting one down in October. On 27th November 1944 he was carrying out a low level mission when his wing tip hit the ground and his aircraft crashed resulting in the death of both Alfred and his navigator. He lived with his wife Beatrice in Bearton Road, Hitchin.

Source for additional information: In Dedication to a Future World By Mark Rogers, 1999.