9792, Private, 1st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment
John was born in Roxby in 1894 and was the son of Charles & Mary A MARTIN. In 1901 John and his parents were living with his aunt and uncle in Roxby, but by 1911 he had moved with his parents to 60 Digby Street, Crosby, Scunthorpe.
John’s service record has survived but it’s badly damaged and is difficult to read in parts. He enlisted in Lincoln on 8th August 1914 and John is listed on the 1914-15 Winterton Roll of Honour (qualified by upbringing) as being in the 3rd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment at the time. He entered France on 26th January 1915, but was killed in action on 4th March 1915 and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium.
The Battalion was in the vicinity of Rosenthaal Chateau and on 2nd March, the battalion HQ was near La Chapelle farm.
The war diary reads: “4th March 1915: Enemy’s artillery very active. B Coy trench shelled causing some losses. Machine gun in support shelled causing casualties to whole of the team. Bn headquarters shelled. 27 shells either striking or falling and exploding about Headquarters causing many casualties in C Coy. The shelling lasted about 1 hour 30 minutes. Medical Officer decided to remove wounded which task was carried out without further losses. Bn relieved by 1st Dorset Regt and proceeded to YPRES and billeted in Infantry Barracks. Casualties: 4 killed, 1 died of wounds, 34 wounded.”
His Medal Index Card shows that he was posthumously awarded the 1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
John was born in Roxby in 1894 and was the son of Charles & Mary A MARTIN. In 1901 John and his parents were living with his aunt and uncle in Roxby, but by 1911 he had moved with his parents to 60 Digby Street, Crosby, Scunthorpe.
John’s service record has survived but it’s badly damaged and is difficult to read in parts. He enlisted in Lincoln on 8th August 1914 and John is listed on the 1914-15 Winterton Roll of Honour (qualified by upbringing) as being in the 3rd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment at the time. He entered France on 26th January 1915, but was killed in action on 4th March 1915 and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium.
The Battalion was in the vicinity of Rosenthaal Chateau and on 2nd March, the battalion HQ was near La Chapelle farm.
The war diary reads: “4th March 1915: Enemy’s artillery very active. B Coy trench shelled causing some losses. Machine gun in support shelled causing casualties to whole of the team. Bn headquarters shelled. 27 shells either striking or falling and exploding about Headquarters causing many casualties in C Coy. The shelling lasted about 1 hour 30 minutes. Medical Officer decided to remove wounded which task was carried out without further losses. Bn relieved by 1st Dorset Regt and proceeded to YPRES and billeted in Infantry Barracks. Casualties: 4 killed, 1 died of wounds, 34 wounded.”
His Medal Index Card shows that he was posthumously awarded the 1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.