John Marshman was the son of John Opie (snr) and Hilda Kathleen (nee Pargiter) Marshman and was born in Derby on 14th July 1918. His parents had married on 4th December 1913
at Normanton church, Derby where Hilda's father was the local vicar (born is what is now modern day Sri Lanka). His father's father had been an army Colonel (also called John)
but was dead by 1913. John (Jnr) was was born in Derby in 1914. His baptism records show that he was baptised at Normanton on 29th November 1914 by his grandfather who was still
the church vicar at the time. At that time the family were living at 10 Wilson Road, Derby where his father worked locally
as a steel tube manufacturer. John's mother gave birth to a baby girl, Angela in 1918. The 1921 Census both he and Angela were staying with a William Simpson at the Barley Mow
Inn, Kirk Ireton, Ashbourne but there was no sign of their parents at the same address at this time. His sister Angela would later marry Charles H Wilson in Cambridge in 1939
and they had a baby girl. In the 1939 Register John (Jnr) was working as a printing executive at the Roneo Works and living at Romford, Essex but was also a member of the RAFVR.
John probably joined the RAF at the very bottom, on 17th December 1939 he received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation from the rank of LAC. He was twenty six years old when he
sadly was killed when Wellington R3154 crashed near Thorgill and was buried at Marham Holy Trinity, Norfolk, where his unit was based at the time. At the time John Marshman (jnr) died
in the flying accident near Rosedale in 1940 his father was working at the same Roneo Works, Romford, Essex. In his casualty file a Miss F. Rye, of Ampthill Square, London NW1 is listed
as being a second person to be informed following his death who may have been his fiancee. I would welcome any information to further detail his life and a photograph of him.
This photograph shows a Wellington aircraft and B-Flight of 115 Squadron taken in April 1940. Those shown on this photograph are (back row l-r) Cpl Pilgrim, LAC Stone, Sgt Petersen, AC Moir, Sgt Stowe, Sgt Ruffle-Hazel, LAC Kemsley, AC Johnson, AC Robertson, AC Butler. (from row l-r) P/O Marsham (probably Marshman), F/O Clark, F/O Gibbs, F/Lt Pringle, F/O Donaldson, P/O Gerry, P/O Evans. I thank Mr Reg Mulder for contacting me to identify those shown after locating the information and another copy of the same photograph at the RAF Marham Aviation Heritage Centre. I also thank the curator of the RAF Marham Aviation Heritage Centre for contacting me.
