Private John Marks Army Dental Corps
1939-45 Star. Pacific Star. Defence Medal. War Medal 1939-45.
The Man John Marks was born at 2205h on Saturday 18th September 1909 at 69 Jamieson Street, Govanhill, Glasgow, Scotland. Son of William, a Grocer’s Salesman and Helen Robertson nee Steel.
Following his education John became a Dental Mechanic, otherwise known as a Dental Technician, a skilled professional who designs, fabricates, and repairs dental appliances like crowns, bridges, dentures, and orthodontic devices.
In 1937 he was living at 6 Boyd Street, Glasgow and on 11th March aged 27 married Catherine McGowan, a Launderer’s Clerk at 441 Victoria Road and after banns according to the forms of the Original Secession Church (a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1827 by the union of the Anti-Burgher Old Lights, led by Thomas M'Crie the Elder and known as "the Constitutional Associate Presbytery" and the portion of the Anti-Burgher New Lights that refused to merge with the Burgher New Lights, led by George Paxton and known as "the Synod of Protesters".) They had one daughter Helen Steel born in 1938.
Following the outbreak of World War II on 3rd September 1939 John was called up, enlisting into the Amy Dental Corps (ADC) on 27th September 1939 as a Private with service number 7539096. Following training the ADC were posted Singapore following the Japanese invasion of Malaya and attached to the Royal Army Medical Corps, where together with many other units, they were taken as Prisoners of War of the Japanese following the surrender on 15th February 1942.
John was shipped to Thailand to work on a stretch of the infamous Burma Railway at Tampi (Tampines), 147 kilometres north of Nong Pladuk and 267 kilometers south of Thanbyuzayat. Here on 28th August 1943, he met his fate and was killed as a result of a train accident aged 32. He was buried in grave No 1 at Tampi, but on 11th March 1946, following the end of the war was reinterred at Don Rak, Kanchanaburi Commonwealth War Cemetery in Thailand, plot 6.D.13.
For his services John was posthumously awarded the 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-45, these being sent to Catherine at 75 Skirving Street, Glasgow where she lived following the war.
Following his education John became a Dental Mechanic, otherwise known as a Dental Technician, a skilled professional who designs, fabricates, and repairs dental appliances like crowns, bridges, dentures, and orthodontic devices.
In 1937 he was living at 6 Boyd Street, Glasgow and on 11th March aged 27 married Catherine McGowan, a Launderer’s Clerk at 441 Victoria Road and after banns according to the forms of the Original Secession Church (a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1827 by the union of the Anti-Burgher Old Lights, led by Thomas M'Crie the Elder and known as "the Constitutional Associate Presbytery" and the portion of the Anti-Burgher New Lights that refused to merge with the Burgher New Lights, led by George Paxton and known as "the Synod of Protesters".) They had one daughter Helen Steel born in 1938.
Following the outbreak of World War II on 3rd September 1939 John was called up, enlisting into the Amy Dental Corps (ADC) on 27th September 1939 as a Private with service number 7539096. Following training the ADC were posted Singapore following the Japanese invasion of Malaya and attached to the Royal Army Medical Corps, where together with many other units, they were taken as Prisoners of War of the Japanese following the surrender on 15th February 1942.
John was shipped to Thailand to work on a stretch of the infamous Burma Railway at Tampi (Tampines), 147 kilometres north of Nong Pladuk and 267 kilometers south of Thanbyuzayat. Here on 28th August 1943, he met his fate and was killed as a result of a train accident aged 32. He was buried in grave No 1 at Tampi, but on 11th March 1946, following the end of the war was reinterred at Don Rak, Kanchanaburi Commonwealth War Cemetery in Thailand, plot 6.D.13.
For his services John was posthumously awarded the 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-45, these being sent to Catherine at 75 Skirving Street, Glasgow where she lived following the war.
Medal award box addressed to Catherine Marks.
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The Story The medals awarded to John Marks were won at Wilson55 Auction, via the Saleroom on 6th August 2025, coincidentally the same day that the ‘Battlebox’ in Singapore (General Percival’s HQ from which he surrendered on 15th February 1942, leading to the incarceration and ultimate death of John) had been visited.
The medals were seen some weeks earlier following a cursory search for ‘Pacific Star’ on the Saleroom web site. They were advertised simply as “WWII Medal group, in original postage box named to Mrs G Marks, to include a 1939-1945 Medal, a Defence Medal, The 1939-1945 Star, and The Pacific Star.”
Any Pacific Star with box of award named to a next of kin, is always a good indicator that the recipient had died whilst serving in that region during WWII. The back of the award box was also pictured showing the return details as Oi/c Medical Services and ATS Records. A useful additional clue.
Following a few minutes searching the Commonwealth War Graves website, John Marks was found. The certificate showed his wife as Catherine and a re-check of the address on the box confirmed her initial was C not G and his place of abode, Glasgow matched that on the box too, he had also been in the Army Dental Corps, part of the Medical Services and was buried at Don Rak CWG Cemetery in Thailand, having died whilst toiling on the construction of the Burma Railway - a sub-theme of this collection. This was a must have set.
Ancestry and Scotland’s People as always were invaluable in enabling a brief biography to be pieced together.
Poignantly the medals are not mounted, but each has a safety pin attached, probably as worn by his wife in subsequent years.
Another addition to a man who died in horrible circumstances, in this case an accident on the railway, but who will now be remembered for posterity; his grave was visited on 15th August 2025, 80 years to the day following VJ Day and a Poppy Cross laid in his memory.
The medals were seen some weeks earlier following a cursory search for ‘Pacific Star’ on the Saleroom web site. They were advertised simply as “WWII Medal group, in original postage box named to Mrs G Marks, to include a 1939-1945 Medal, a Defence Medal, The 1939-1945 Star, and The Pacific Star.”
Any Pacific Star with box of award named to a next of kin, is always a good indicator that the recipient had died whilst serving in that region during WWII. The back of the award box was also pictured showing the return details as Oi/c Medical Services and ATS Records. A useful additional clue.
Following a few minutes searching the Commonwealth War Graves website, John Marks was found. The certificate showed his wife as Catherine and a re-check of the address on the box confirmed her initial was C not G and his place of abode, Glasgow matched that on the box too, he had also been in the Army Dental Corps, part of the Medical Services and was buried at Don Rak CWG Cemetery in Thailand, having died whilst toiling on the construction of the Burma Railway - a sub-theme of this collection. This was a must have set.
Ancestry and Scotland’s People as always were invaluable in enabling a brief biography to be pieced together.
Poignantly the medals are not mounted, but each has a safety pin attached, probably as worn by his wife in subsequent years.
Another addition to a man who died in horrible circumstances, in this case an accident on the railway, but who will now be remembered for posterity; his grave was visited on 15th August 2025, 80 years to the day following VJ Day and a Poppy Cross laid in his memory.
John Marks's Prisoner of War Record Card
A section of the Burma Railway at Tampi where John toiled and died.
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Kanchanaburi Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery. 16th August 2025.
John MARKS is one of 26 soldiers in this collection who perished whilst working on the Burma Railaway and whose final resting place is Kanchanaburi or Chungkai Commonwealth War Cemeteries in Thailand or Thanbyuzayat in Myanmar. May their souls rest in eternal peace. Click on each name to read about:
- John AXON
- Thomas BURNS
- William James Johnstone BYERS
- Walter Richard COLBERT
- Percy Denis CORNWELL
- Joseph DUCKWORTH
- Harold Edward EKE
- Kenneth Robert EYLAND
- Charles Nevil Worton FOX
- Denys John HYDE
- George Sidney JOHNSON
- Charles Roger LLOYD
- Stanley Richard LOVEDAY
- Myles McMANUS
- Raymond Ernest MADGETT
- Alfred Arthur MANNING
- Horace Edgar MAXWELL
- James Gordon MITCHELL
- Edward John PHILLIPS
- George Edward RUDDICK
- Kenneth William SHIPP
- Harold Norman SPALDING
- Alfred Henry STEVENS
- Walter Leonard TAYLOR
- Henry Garnsey VEITCH
Medal Details:
- 1939-45 Star: Unnamed as awarded.
- Pacific Star: Unnamed as awaded.
- Defence Medal: Unnamed as awarded.
- War Medal 1939-45: Unnamed as awarded.
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This page last updated 16 Aug 25
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