MARTIN, John
| Service Number: | 937 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 29 February 1916, An original member of C Company |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 37th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Healesville, Victoria, Australia, 11 August 1887 |
| Home Town: | Lowesdale, Corowa Shire, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Urana, New South Wales, Australia, 21 November 1954, aged 67 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Buraja Pictorial Roll of Honour, Lowesdale Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 29 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 937, 37th Infantry Battalion, An original member of C Company | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Jun 1916: | Involvement Private, 937, 37th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Persic embarkation_ship_number: A34 public_note: '' | |
| 3 Jun 1916: | Embarked Private, 937, 37th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Persic, Melbourne | |
| 20 Apr 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 937, 37th Infantry Battalion |
Help us honour John Martin's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Edward, Hughie and John Martin all enlisted on the same day, 29 February 1916 at Seymour, Victoria. They were all assigned to the original 37th Battalion with the consecutive regimental numbers of 935, 936 and 937.
They were all associated with the Lowesdale and Buraja, farming areas near Corowa, New South Wales. Their mother had passed away in 1894 when they were very young and their father, Edward Martin, lived mostly at Howlong, New South Wales.
The eldest, 935 Pte. Edward Martin was killed in action at Messines in Belgium on 8 June 1917, aged 37.
John arrived in France with the 37th Battalion during November 1916. He was wounded in action on 23 April 1917, (shot in the hand) and rejoined his unit a fortnight later on 6 May 1917. He was wounded in action again at Messines on 7 June 1917, and was eventually evacuated to England with a gunshot wound to his buttock during July 1917. He rejoined the 37th Battalion in Belgium only a few days before he was again wounded, (3rd occasion) near Passchendaele on 12 October 1917. He was transferred to England again with a gunshot wound to the neck.
He rejoined the 37th Battalion in France on 21 February 1918. He was wounded for a fourth time on 9 September 1918, (gassed) and again evacuated to England. He was returned to Australia (gas poisoning) on 21 December 1918.
Another brother, who enlisted later in the war, 6843A Pte. James Martin 21st Battalion AIF, died of wounds in France on 7 October 1918, aged 28.
John passed away in 1954, and the following was reported in the Corowa Free Press on 23 November. “The death occurred at the weekend of a well-known former resident of Lowesdale district, Mr. John Martin. He had been in ill-health for some time and had been living in Corowa. On Saturday afternoon he went to Urana on the bus, and on Sunday morning, Lesley Dodd; aged 9, on her way to Sunday School, found him lying dead in a water channel, and the police were informed. On Saturday night there was a blackout in Urana and it is presumed that deceased had become lost and had died from exposure. An Inquest will be held.
Deceased, who was 66, had lived In Lowesdale and Corowa districts for well over 50 years, following the occupation of a farm labourer. As a young man he was a keen footballer and played with the Buraja team. He was the third son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Edward Martin, was born at Healesville (Vic.), and was the last surviving member of the family of five boys and three girls. Together with his brothers Edward, Hugh and James, he enlisted at Lowesdale in 1914 to serve in the first World War, and was wounded four times. Two of his brothers, Edward and James were killed in action.
The funeral was held at Corowa Old Cemetery, yesterday (Monday), when members of the Corowa branch of the Returned Soldiers League were in attendance at the graveside.”