William Jack Marsden was born in Kalgoorlie in Western Australia on 10 July 1917, the son of Mr Marsden and Mrs Emily Caroline Marsden. He joined the Royal Australian Navy Reserve as an Ordinary Seaman at HMAS RUSHCUTTER on 7 April 1941. He was loaned to the Royal Navy on 6 September 1941 and, after taking passage in the SS OARANGI, then served in HMS COLLINGWOOD, HMS VICTORY and HMS HORNET ‘for HMS BEVERLEY’ before joining HMS KING ALFRED for Officer assessment.

He was Commissioned as a Probationary Sub Lieutenant RANVR on 17 July 1942 and joined HMS DOLPHIN ‘additional for Special Service’ on 14 September 1942. He was appointed to HMS VARBEL on 1 October 1942 where he trained as X-Craft Crew.

Jack Marsden was selected as First Lieutenant of the ‘Passage Crew’ of HMS X8 for the attack on the TIRPITZ. Whilst X8 was being towed by HMS SEANYMPH, the tow line parted and main ballast was blown to prevent the X8 from being lost. HMS SEAYMPH did not notice that the tow line had parted and had continued her passage for another two hours before starting a search for her lost X-Craft. Luckily X8 had been sighted by HMS STUBBORN who passed the location to HMS SEANYMPH who then was able to reattach a tow line to resume the passage. The next day X8 had a problem with her trim as one of her side cargos had partly flooded. The starboard side cargo had to be jettisoned but it exploded about a quarter of an hour later. Soon after the port side cargo also developed similar flooding problems and was also jettisoned but, only after setting the fuse to explode after two hours to give time to get clear of the area. When it did explode it caused significant damage to X8.  As X8 was no further use to the Operation it was scuttled and Jack Marsden and the others of the passage crew returned home in HMS SEANYMPH but only after carrying out a patrol off North Norway.

Jack Marsden was next selected for ‘X-22 as First Lieutenant’. X22 was accidentally sunk with all hands on 7 February 1944. X22 was under tow by HMS SYRTIS in the Pentland Firth when the Officer of the Watch of HMS SYRTIS (Lieutenant Charles Blythe, RNR) was washed overboard from the bridge. The Commanding Officer of SYRTIS (Lieutenant M H Jupp) reversed course in an attempt to rescue his ‘man overboard’ and accidentally collided with HMS X22. X22 sank at once and the crew of four including Jack Marsden were all lost.

William Jack Marsden was the husband of 3^rd Officer W H Marsden, WRNS, who was then living in the WRNS Officers Mess at Greenock. Jack Marsden is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial on Panel 93 Column 1 and on the 12th Submarine Flotilla memorials at Rothesay on the Isle of Bute and at Kylesku.