Major Bernard Oswald March DSO and bar, MC, (MiD)
Royal Field Artillery (Special Reserve) attached 158th Artillery Brigade, formerly 4th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry
Date of Birth: 22nd February 1883
Place of Birth: Santander, Santander Province, Northern Spain
Date of Death: June 1950
Distinguished Service Order (with bar)
Awarded the Distingushed Service Order and bar, the Military Cross, the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, Mentioned in Dispatches
Major Bernard Oswald March was born on 22nd February 1883 in Santander, Santander Province, Northern Spain.
His mother was Rosura March, she was born c. 1861 in Peru.
Bernard's father was Edward Bernard March (1843-1919), he was a British Consul to Fiji and later to Callao, Peru. Edward was born in Spain.
The building that was Pentlands, New Toad, Teignmouth. Image Capture July 1915 © 2019 Google (cropped)
In 1891 Bernard's parents and some of his siblings were living at Pentlands, New Road, Teignmouth.
The children were all of school age and the family had three servants (Anne Dougherty, Thurza Bryant, Rosa Moyer) and a Governess (Alexa Penwarden) living with them.
| Bernard and his siblings | |
| Father Leopold March (priest) 1882–1969 |
Major Bernard Oswald March 1883–1950 |
| Mary March 1884– |
Grace Francisca March 1886–1919 |
| Mercedes March 1888–1985 |
Private George Frederick March 1889–1917 |
| Teresa March (VAD) Nurse 1891–1921 |
Joseph Cyril March 1897–1970 |
In 1901, most of the family were still living at Pentlands. Bernard and his brother Leopold were elsewhere.
By 1911 the family had left Teignmouth and Bernard had become a police officer.
SS Demosthenes of the Aberdeen Line. © GG Archives
At some point between 1911-1914 Bernard moved to South Rhodesia (Southern Africa) where he was a "Planter".
In September 1914 within weeks of the outbreak of WW1 Bernard aged 31 sailed back to Britain on the steamship Demosthenes, of the Aberdeen and Commonwealth Line.
Mentioned in Despatches
Bernard's Medal Card shows he was a Private in the 4th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry (Service number 24203). This became a part the Army's Territorial Force in 1908.
Bernard arrived in England on the 4th October 1914 and on that day was commissioned temporary 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Marines.
2 pounder anti-aircraft "pom-pom" mounted on an armoured lorry (Pierce Arrow). © Landships
He first served with the Royal Marine Artillery (RMA) Anti-Aircraft Brigade as temporary Lieutenant from 22 April 1915 to 30 August 1915 at Dunkirk, Niruport, Ypres.
Was in command of 2nd Section "B" Battery between 4 and 10 July during which the section was exposed to very severe fire, including salvos from a 4 Gun Battery of 5.9 inch Howitzers.
The section forced two Enemy Biplanes to land within three days.
His Brigade Major
Royal Artillery
cap badge
Bernard's Temporary Commission in Royal Marines was terminated on 15 Oct 1915 in order to accept a Commission in the Royal Field Artillery Special Reserve.
By the end of WW1 Bernard held the rank of Major and had been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (twice), a Military Cross and had been Mentioned in Dispatches for gallantry.
Before the outbreak of the WW1 Bernard's brother George had been working as a China Customs Officer (Peking).
George was a Territorial with the Inns of Court Officers Training Corps and was embodied in 1916. He had contracted tuberculosis whilst in China and died in a sanatorium in the Royal Chelsea hospital in 1917. His home address at the time was 61 Parkwood Road Boscombe (Bournemouth) Dorset.
In 1925 Bernard married Dorothy Annie Elizabeth Rickinson in Durham, they lived at 3B Cambalt Road Wandsworth, London for a for a few years.
The 1939 Register shows Bernard living alone at 17, Brunswick Square, Hove, he was living on Private means and was an Air Raid Precautions (A.R.P) Warden. This was three weeks after the outbreak of WW2.
He later lived in Kensington and Westminister up until 1947.
In 1950 Bernard's death was registered at Newton Abbot (the Registrar for the Teignmouth area). He was 67 years old.
