Corporal John Joseph Martin

CORPORAL JOHN JOSEPH MARTIN

3638 – 1st Tunnelling Company

John Joseph Martin was born in Herberton, North Queensland about 1873 the son of Catherine Martin. Military experience was gained by three years with the Kennedy Regiment, N.Q.

At the Town Hall in Sydney, NSW on January 28, 1916 the thirty-three year old linesman passed the medical examination for enlistment for service abroad. At Casula camp near Liverpool, NSW on February 7, 1916 Attestation forms were completed. Description on enlistment states he was 163cms (5ft 4ins) tall, weighed 58.6kgs (129lbs) with a chest expansion of 84-92cms (33-36ins). Dark was his complexion with grey eyes and brown hair. Religious denomination was Roman Catholic. A distinctive mark was a scar on left side of his back. His mother Mrs Catherine Martin, of Ann Street, Charters Towers was nominated as next-of-kin. The ‘Oath of Allegiance’ was signed and taken the same day.

Later that day he was allotted to ‘A Coy’ Depot Battalion for basic training where Private Martin remained for a month then was transferred to ‘A Coy’ 1st Battalion for only a couple of days. On March 10 he was re-allotted to the No. 4 Tunnelling Company Reinforcements Mining Corps in the rank of Sapper with the regimental number 3638.

At Rosebery Park, Sydney, NSW on May 11, 1916 their Headquarters and two sections (8 officers & 153 O.Rs.) plus 1st Reinforcements consisting of one officer and seventeen other ranks were joined for final training by recruits from the No. 4 Company which had embarked from Brisbane, Qld early in May, 1916 aboard HMAT A69 Warilda for Sydney, NSW. Six officers and 152 other ranks together with the 1st Reinforcements of fifteen other ranks made up their two sections.

On May 16, 1916 he was promoted to the rank of Second Corporal before their departure.

The 7713-ton transport departed Sydney, NSW on May 22, 1916 and collected in Melbourne, Victoria the No. 5 Company recruited from Victoria, South Aust. & Tasmania made up of Headquarters and 2 Sections (8 officers & 173 men) (3 M.D.). 1 Section from Tasmania (3 officers & 76 O.Rs); also 1st Reinforcements for No. 5 Company (17 men from Vic. & 8 men Tas.) The ship departed on May 25, 1916 for Adelaide, S.A. to collect one Section of 3 officers & 76 O.Rs with 1st Reinforcements of 8 O.Rs.

Docking at Fremantle, W.A. on June 1, 1916 added No. 6 Company recruited from W.A. of 14 officers and 325 O.Rs along with 1st Reinforcements of 1 Officer & 32 O.Rs departing the same day.

Durban, South Africa was reached on June 16, 1916 and Cape Town on June 21, 1916 while St Vincent completed the African ports of call on July 7, 1916. Discipline was fairly good except at intermediate ports where Away without Leave caused concern. The fifty-eight day voyage experienced remarkable pleasant weather terminating at Plymouth, England on July 18, 1916. Four, Five and Six Companies comprising of 1064 officers and other ranks were detrained to Amesbury and Tidworth to begin training for the front at Perham Down’s camp.

On August 28, 1916 he was promoted to Corporal and the following day the Reinforcements proceeded to France marching into the 2nd Aust General Base Depot on August 30.

Corporal Martin was attached to the 1st Tunnelling Company on September 25, 1916.

He went sick to the 47th Divisional Rest Station on March 2, 1917 with Pyrexia (Fever) then transferred to the 17th Casualty Clearing Station. On March 9 was sent to the 32nd Stationary Hospital at Wimereux with Albuminuria (Album in urine a sign of kidney damage). He left for England on March 13 from Boulogne on the hospital ship Cambria and entered the County of Middlesex War Hospital, Napsbury diagnosed with Nephritis (severe) (Inflammation of Kidneys). After sixteen days he was discharged on March 30 to Furlough with orders to report to No. 3 Command Depot at Hurdcott on April 14, 1917.

He marched in from Headquarters to Hurdcott as ordered and went before a Medical Board the following day and classed with debility B1A2. On April 28 the classification changed to B1A3 and again on May 5 to B1A4 and then to A3 on May 7, 1917.

He proceeded from Perham Downs overseas on June 4, 1917 to the Aust General Base Depot at Rouelles and returned to join his company on June 12.

Left for hospital sick on July 26, 1917 to the 7th Convalescent Depot and transferred to the 39th General Hospital at Havre with a Social Disease and after twenty-one days returned to Rouelles on August 15, 1917. Two days later readmitted to the 39th General Hospital for a further ten days treatment and returned on September 1 to Base and rejoined his unit two days later.

On July 7, 1918 he was admitted to the 9th Aust Field Ambulance with P.U.O. (Pyrexia Uncertain Origin) and transferred three days later to the 47th C.C.S. He was conveyed on July 15 on A.T.23 to Rouen and admitted with Asthma to the 5th General Hospital the next day and again travelled on A.T.66 for transfer to England.

The hospital ship Western Australia transported him to England on July 18 and he entered Exeter War Hospital with Asthma (severe).

His mother received a series of telegrams from Base Records advising on her son’s illness.

On September 4, 1918 he was transferred to Dartford to the 3rd Aust Auxiliary Hospital and two days his report states:

Feels fairly well, some shortness of breath.

A discharge to Furlough followed and report to the No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth on September 20, 1918 and reported for duty from Headquarters.

Base Records sent a letter dated September 24, 1918 to Mrs Martin notifying that her son was now convalescent and the address for correspondence.

Three days before Armistice was declared he departed England on November 8, 1918 on the H.T. Gaika as an invalid due to Miner’s Phthisis (Miners tuberculosis) for his return to Australia. Next-of-kin was advised by Base Records on December 12, 1918 he was returning home. The ship docked in Melbourne, Vic (3rd M.D.) on December 29, 1918 and left for Sydney, NSW (2nd M.D.) a day later.

On January 3, 1919 he entered No. 4 Aust General Hospital, Randwick, Sydney, NSW for treatment of Chronic Bronchitis. A report on his health was given on March 13, 1919 when examined by Major Gillies and states:

Some emphysema. Scattered Rhonchi (wheezing sounds) Nil else ?

X-ray shows the left end ? exterior from ? (Capt Edwards)

Sputum –ve six times. In ? +ve

Occasional temp of 99o

Did not react to 1cc 1-1000 .3cc 1-100 or 1cc 1-100 O.T.

Re?-order for further treatment

Will probably be sent on extended leave to a dryer climate

20/3/19 As above. Recommended for transfer to physician.

He was to report to Staff Officer for Invalid and Returned Soldiers at Victoria Barracks, Paddington at 10 a.m. 21/3/19.

Military Discharge was issued on April 27, 1919 in Sydney, NSW (2nd M.D.) due to being medically unfit with debility from Miners’ Phthisis.

He married in 1925 to Rose A. Keogh in Merewether, NSW.

In 1943 their address was off Smith Street, Cowra, NSW and no occupation was listed for him.

John Joseph Martin died on August 31, 1949 at Cowra, NSW at 66 years of age and his grave is in the Cowra Cemetery.

Sydney Morning Herald on September 3, 1949 published this small notice: