Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From How We Served
 
The final resting place for; - 41258 Leading Aircraftsman Martin Oliver of South Shields, England and Seddon, Victoria, had already spent twelve years in the service of the Royal Navy, including the duration of the ‘Great War’, prior to his immigration to Australia following the end of World War One.

Shortly after his arrival in Australia, Martin joined the Melbourne Harbour Trust, with which he spent around two decades working for prior to the outbreak of World War Two.

Martin now at 55, dropped his age by nearly 7 years, and presented himself for enlistment with the Royal Australian Air Force on the 16th of June 1941.

He was accepted for fulltime duty within Australia, and Martin would go on to serve the entirety of this Second World War, employed at various RAAF training bases in Victoria.

By the end of this second world conflict, Martin was still in service, detailed to duty, and was mustered as a Boiler Attendant at Point Cook. Into early 1946, Martin was still on duty, and was awaiting his discharge from the RAAF, when he was evacuated to the 6th Royal Australian Air Force Hospital (Heidelberg) due to sickness on the 25th of April 1946 (ANZAC Day).

Martin was being treated in hospital when he succumbed to illness on the 29th of April, with his true age being 61.

Following his passing, LAC Martin Oliver, a Royal Navy veteran of the ‘Great War’, and who had served for the duration of a Second World War with the Royal Australian Air Force, was formally laid to rest within Springvale War Cemetery, Victoria.