Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Martin Lawrence Flanagan was born in the year 1883 in the suburb of Bowden, South Australia to his mother Marry Flannagan. Martin was the youngest son and had one brother. In his adult life he worked as a machinist prior to his enlistment. 33-year-old Martin, standing at 5 foot 4 and 126 pounds enlisted himself on the 5th of August 1915. At the time of enlistment, Martin was single, had no children and was Catholic. Flanagan’s motivation to join the army would have most likely been due the large amount of convincing propaganda, his patriotic attitude and his brother had also enlisted.

Martin and his battalion were shipped to Gallipoli on the HMAT Medic A7. Flannagan fought in the 27th battalion as a private. The 27th battalion spent 2 months training in Egypt before an urgent call for reinforcements in Gallipoli. They landed on ANZAC Cove on the 12th of September along with the 25th, 26th and 28th battalions. The troops reinforced the battle worn soldiers who were fighting on the Cheshire Ridge. They defended the ridge for the entire month of October, suffering five deaths and 29 injuries, before being relieved by New Zealanders in early November. They then proceeded to fresh positions in Mule Gulley, where they joined the 26th Battalion for more defensive operations. During this time, two people were killed and eight more were injured.  Before the decision to evacuate the Allied forces from the peninsula, they took over from the 28th Battalion around Happy Valley in December. The unit set sail for Lemnos Island on the Osmaliegh on December 12, 1915.

The 27th Battalion then moved to Egypt, where the AIF underwent training and reorganisation until reinforcements from Australia arrived. The AIF was enlarged from two to four infantry divisions during this time, with a fifth forming in Australia, and several infantry battalions that had served at Gallipoli were divided up to provide cadre staff for the newly raised battalions. The 2nd Division's battalions, on the other hand, were not split up in this way, and the 27th Battalion remained intact.

In early 1916, it was decided to move part of the AIF to Europe in order to participate in trench warfare along the Western Front of France and Belgium. The 27th Battalion, still a member of the 7th Brigade, first entered the front line on April 7, 1916, when Australians hijacked a quiet sector near Armentières. On July 8, 1916, the 7th Brigade was ordered to march on Somme to support the Australian 1st Division, which was fighting for Pozières.  On July 28, the 7th Brigade attacked the German front, during which time the 27th Battalion was held in reserve. The attack turned out to be unsuccessful, and as a result, a second attack focused on German positions around Bapaume was ordered to begin on August 4.

This time the 27th Battalion played an important role. Nevertheless, the first wave managed to catch the first line of the German trench, and the next wave was lost in heavy smoke, but the two assault companies began to join positions overnight. I did. In the early morning of August 5, a fierce counterattack by German troops began. Later that day, their positions were heavily bombarded by German artillery located around Thiepval. The attack was successful but costly as the battalion reported the following casualties: 40 dead, 289 injured, 67 missing. They were then rescued by the 48th Battalion and eventually transferred to Belgium, where they rested in the "quiet" sector south of Zillebeke.

Martin was wounded with shell shock on the 18th August 1916 and was hospitalised, soon after on the 26th OCtover 1916 he was diagnosed with influenza and was transferred to hsopital in Liverpool. The effects of shell shock include confusion, nightmares and impaired sight and hearing. Martin was declared as medically unit with Rheumatic Carditis and was returned to Australia. Rheumatic Carditis is a condition where you get a shortness of breath and heart failure or a heart murmur. Martin returned to Adelaide on the 12th May 1917 and discharged from the AIF after being declared medically unfit.