Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards from the Collection of RC Witte
Kronstadt Island. The large island battery which we knew as Fort No. 4 lay between us and Terrioki village, some fifteen miles away. Tolboukin Lighthouse could be seen to the south west from which a strong swell was running. How the thin shell of the boat survived the impact passes my comprehension. She was, however, making water and badly holed. Everyone in the boat, except the contrabandist, was wonderfully calm and collected. Fifteen miles of water separated us from the safety of the Finnish shore, but there were two forts between us and that shore. Our situation was desperate, and I felt keenly that the blame rested solely on myself. Only a miracle could save us, and I prayed hard for it. It was midnight and in three hours would come first light and dawn. I spoke first to Gefter and apologised to him for my mistake in direction. Here, however, we were close by Kronstadt Island itself. He had papers, money, and could swim. It was not far. "Take your chance now," I advised, "and get away while you can." “What do you yourself do?" he replied. "Stay here and get the boat to Finland," I said, knowing the chances were a million to one against. Without hesitation he put his hand in mine and said, "Then I stay here with you." Instinctively, we started to get active.
The relief of action seemed to deaden all thoughts of the horrible fate awaiting us at daylight when the nearby Fort would discover our presence. The searchlight overhead was still sweeping the water but we were below its beam. Marshall plugged the large hole in the side of the boat with leather clothing and made a good job of it. We got our boat hooks END out and managed, by pushing and poling together, to clear the boat from the sunken breakwater. Eventually, she floated off, though leaking badly. We made the contrabandist bale for his life with empty petrol tins from which Beeley cut away the tops. When Marshall began using his sea boots for baling we could not help laughing. Stripping off what canvas we could cut away, we made a make-shift sail hoisted to a couple of the long boat hooks lashed together. For a rudder we tied two or three empty petrol tins together at the end of a rope which Gefter cleverly used as a sea anchor. By this method we were able to steer sufficiently to give the boat the right direction by keeping her stern on to wind and sea. The south-westerly morning breeze, coupled with the swell and our very light draught, gave the boat quite a surprising turn of steerage way. Slowly we progressed, without any means of propulsion except nature, close across the walls of the fort towards the Finnish coast.
By this time the searchlight overhead had also been switched off. It was incredible, and we could not believe our luck. Steadily we drifted and sailed to the north east, aided by some miracle of a current which set us towards the direction of Terrioki. Our speed must have been no more than a bare two knots or less made up by a knot of swell, half a knot of current and half a knot from the makeshift sail, but sufficient to get us out of the danger area by dawn. The breeze from the south meanwhile increased. We worked like beavers, baling the water out, Gefter attending to the steerage rope, which was his idea. All eyes turned on the forts which, as we made progress through the water, slowly receded. By dawn we must have been over six miles away, and out of range of their batteries, but we were still only half-way to the Finnish coast and exhausted. Two small fishing boats now appeared. They came from the direction of the forts and we were ready for them. Persuaded by our machine guns, they gave us their sails and a mast which we stepped in the cockpit of our boat. Progress now became faster and always towards Terrioki. By noon we reached the Yacht Club breakwater and had, unaided by any " Power" except from one above, brought our 40 foot C.M.B., with five souls in her, sixteen miles across the Gulf of Finland with two large holes in her bottom in just under twelve hours. Our lives were spared.’
Marshall was demobilised in January 1920. 1939-45
Recalled on the renewal of hostilities in September 1939, Marshall was appointed a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and served in the Edinburgh Castle from April 1940. Later still, he was posted to St. Angelo, Malta, where he was advanced to the temporary rank of Lieutenant-Commander in February 1943.
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