John Marr was a farmer who answered the call for soldiers in April, 1917. He joined the 17th Company of the 1st Battalion of the Wellington Infantry Regiment on November 8, 1917, and suffered a gunshot wound to the fibia three weeks later, on the 29th. The Wellington' Official History has this to say about that period of time:
"The 1st Battalion's spell in line was not to be a particularly happy one, for, during the period from 27th to 30th November, a programme of intenPAGE 233sive bombardment of the enemy's positions was carried out twice daily by our artillery with particular attention to Polderhoek Chateau, and the enemy did not neglect to retaliate."
John Marr was sent to the NZ hospital at Walton on Thames and, on the last day of 1917, placed on the "seriously ill" list. He was removed from the last at the beginning of February, 1918, but placed on it again on July 10. His Army records states: "Died of acute pneumonia, pthisis (tuberculosis) toxaemia, cardiac failure.
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