Louis Albert MARTENS

Badge Number: 77695, Sub Branch: Burnside
77695

MARTENS, Louis Albert

Service Number: 3805
Enlisted: 25 October 1915
Last Rank: Sergeant
Last Unit: 10th Infantry Battalion
Born: Adelaide, South Australia, 11 April 1895
Home Town: Norwood (SA), South Australia
Schooling: Norwood Public School; Hogg's College, Adelaide, South Australia
Occupation: Plumber
Died: Natural Causes, Norwood, Adelaide, (SA), 18 October 1972, aged 77 years
Cemetery: Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia
Memorials: Adelaide Royal Oak Lodge Honor Roll, Norwood Primary School Honour Board
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World War 1 Service

25 Oct 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3805, 10th Infantry Battalion
2 Dec 1915: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3805, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: RMS Malwa embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: ''
23 Jul 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3805, 10th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières
28 Sep 1916: Wounded Private, 3805, Louis albert martens was in hospital for a little more then 3 months.
11 Nov 1918: Involvement Sergeant, 3805
15 Nov 1919: Discharged AIF WW1, Sergeant, 3805, Due to a gunshot wound in his left thigh, Louis Albert Martens was discharged back to Australia.

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Biography

Wounded at the battle of Ypres on September 25th 1916

 

 

 

Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan - 28 May 2014

Biography contributed by Adelaide Botanic High School

Louis Albert Martens was born on 11 April 1895 in Norwood, South Australia. He was the son of Mr. W. Martens and Ms. Ellen Martens, and the family resided at 65 Beulah Road in Norwood. Louis Martens enlisted on 12 October 1915 at the age of 20. He worked as a plumber before enlisting.

Louis Martens was a little below average-sized man for the time, standing at 5'7" or 170cm tall, when the average height was around 5'8" or 172cm. He also weighed in at around 150 pounds.

Upon enlisting, Louis was assigned to the 12th Reinforcements of the 10th Battalion. With the service number 3805, he joined the Base infantry immediately. Although he did not have any recorded military service prior to enlisting, he was likely identified as a potential candidate for officer commissioning. However, this opportunity did not materialize, and he was instead deployed to the Battle of Pozières during the larger Battle of Somme.

In December, he embarked and arrived in Suez at the end of April 1916 before making his way to the UK. He departed for France from Folkestone around March, and eventually reached Pozieres where he joined the battle. However, he fell ill with Pyrexia, a generic term for fever, and was hospitalized for nearly three months. During this time, his battalion fought at Mouquet Farm. He re-joined his unit on 8 February 1917.

In September, Louis spent a brief period in hospital at Etaples. Afterwards, the 10th Battalion and Louis were transferred to Belgium in the Ypres sector and later returned to the Somme where they took positions near Flers and Guedecourt.

On 5 November, during an attack near Flers, Louis Albert Martens set a remarkable example for his troops. With only a few men from 'C' Company, he captured and maintained control of a section of Bayonet Trench, successfully repelling multiple German attempts to reclaim it. His bravery earned him a recommendation and subsequent awarding of the Military Cross. As a result, he was promoted to Sergeant on 11 November 1918.

Louis Albert returned to France in late November, temporarily attached to the 8th Australian Field Artillery Brigade for a week before re-joining the 10th Battalion on 15 December 1918. Recognized for his aptitude in training, Louis was detached to the ANZAC Corps School. In late January, he was selected for the 7th Instructional course at the Senior Officers School in Aldershot.

Louis Albert Martens returned to the Training Battalion in late March 1919. However, he fell ill in June of the same year. It is worth noting that during this time, the Spanish Flu epidemic was rampant in Europe, claiming the lives of many Australian soldiers who had survived the war. Despite this, Louis managed to avoid falling ill. He was discharged on 15 November and returned to Australia due to a gunshot wound to his thigh, and after nearly four years of service Louis Albert Martens was finished fighting for his country in the great war.

After the war, Louis joined the RSL (Returned and Services League). He remained a member with badge number 3508 until 1939. Louis Albert Martens passed away on 18 October 1972. The cause and location of his death remain unknown. He has a gravestone at Centennial Park in South Australia.

Louis Albert Martens was recognized with several awards for his service, including the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal. These awards were given to military personnel, as well as some civilians, who served between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915. Additionally, he received the Mercantile Marine War Medal, which was awarded to those who served at least six months at sea between 4 August 1914 and 11 November 1918. 

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