Three: Lance-Corporal J. T. Marney, Essex Regiment, who was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916

1914-15 Star (16798 L.Cpl. J. T. Marney. Essex R.); British War and Victory Medals (16798 Pte. J. T. Marney. Essex R.) mounted court-style for display, nearly extremely fine (3) £300-£400

Jack Thomas Marney was born at Forest Gate, London, on 24 June 1896, and attested for the Essex Regiment following the outbreak of the Great War. He served with the 2nd Battalion on the Western Front from 15 May 1915, and was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916. On that date the battalion was involved in an attack between Beaumont Hamel and Serre; the Battalion War Diary gives the following account:
‘At 8.36 am A and D Companies advanced from their assembly trenches and immediately came under very heavy machine gun fire and Artillery barrage. At about 9.30 am the 10th Brigade were holding a line about 50 yards short of the German 2nd line and some parties had forced their way through and got as far as Pendant Copse. The main line tried to consolidate themselves in the line of craters but this work was practically impossible owing to the intense machine gun fire brought to bear on them from the direction of Serre on the left flank and Beaumont Hamel on the right ... About 4.00 pm the line was forced to retire to the German front line ... Casualties 22 Officers and about 400 Other Ranks.’

Marney was amongst those killed. He has no known grave and his commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.

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