| Marker | Raymond John | | Captain | MARKER, RAYMOND JOHN, Captain, was the son of Richard Marker, JP, of Combe, Honiton, and the Honourable Venetia Alexandrina (nee Digby), eldest daughter of Edward, 9th Baron Digby. He was born at Upcerne Manor, Dorchester, 18 April 1867; was educated at Evelyn's Preparatory School, Eton, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and was gazetted Second Lieutenant, Coldstream Guards, 15 November 1888, becoming Lieutenant 29 September 1890. From 1892 to 1896 he was Adjutant of the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, and from 1896 to 1897 ADC to Sir J West Ridgeway, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in Ceylon, and from 1899 to 1900 ADC to Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India. He was on Special Service in South Africa 7 April 1900 to 8 March 1901, and ADC to Lord Kitchener, Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in South Africa, 9 March 1901 to September 1902. He served throughout, the campaign, taking part in the operations in the Orange Free State, April to May 1900, including actions at Vet River and Zand River; operations in the Transvaal, May to June 1900, including actions near Johannesburg, Pretoria and Diamond Hill. Operations in the Transvaal, east of Pretoria, July to August 1900, including the action at Belfast; operations in Orange River Colony, September to 29 November 1900, and 30 November to December 1900. Operations in Cape Colony, December 1900 to March 1901, and operations in the Transvaal, March 1901 to 31 May 1902. He was three times mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 23 April, 7 May and 10 September 1901]; was given the Brevet of Major 26 June 1902; received the Queen's Medal with five clasps; the King's Medal with two clasps; was placed on the list of officers considered qualified for Staff employment in consequence of services on the Staff in the Field, and was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 23 April 1901]: "Raymond John Marker, Captain, Coldstream Guards. For the capture of De Wet's gun and pom-pom in Cape Colony. Dated 23 April 1901". The Insignia were presented to him by the Duke of Cornwall and York 14 August 1901. Captain Marker and the then Colonel Hubert Hamilton brought home Peace Despatches to the King at Windsor in June 1902. He accompanied Lord Kitchener to India as ADC (28 November 1902 to 30 April 1904]; became Major 29 November 1903, and in 1904 proceeded to the Staff College, qualifying in the following year. For part of 1905 he was Private Secretary to Mr Arnold Forster, Secretary of State for War, and he was later appointed ADC to the Commander-in-Chief in India (5 November 1905 to 27 October 1906). From 1 April 1908 to 12 June 1910, he was GSO2, Home Counties Division, Eastern Command; became Lieutenant Colonel 11 March 1911, and from March 1912 to November 1913, was in command of the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards. He was AQMG, Aldershot Command, 29 November 1913 to August 1914; was promoted to Colonel 5 August 1914, and accompanied the British Expeditionary Force to France as AA and QMG, 1st Army Corps; served through the Retreat from Mons, the battles of the Aisne and the Marne; was twice mentioned in Sir John French's Despatches [London Gazette, 19 October 1914, and 17 February 1915], and was made an Officer of the Legion of Honour for his services during the retirement from Mons. Colonel Marker was hit by a shell on the 4th November 1914, outside the reporting centre of the 1st Army Corps at Ypres, and died of his wounds at Boulogne on the 13th of the same month. He was buried at Gittisham, Honiton. He had married, on 21 November 1906, at the Guards' Chapel, Wellington Barracks, Beatrice Minnie Shrieve, third daughter of Sir Thomas Jackson, Baronet, and Amelia Lydia Dare, and they had one son, Richard Raymond Kitchener, born 18 June 1908.
Source: DSO recipients (VC and DSO Book) | Coldstream Guards |
