Martin, Samuel John

No.4185 – Private Samuel John Martin – 28^th Battalion AIF

Samuel John Martin was born in Ireland in 1874 to Francis and Sarah Martin. Much of his early life in unknown but it seems his family moved to Australia and lived for a time in both Victoria and Western Australia.

On the 1^st September 1897 he married Annie Toohey in Royal Park Melbourne and they would have a daughter called Minnie who was born in 1898. It is unclear if they later separated as Annie was still in Victoria while Sam was living in Fremantle. Annie died at Port Melbourne in 1916.

The 1912 census shows Sam living at 228 High Street Fremantle. Prior to the Great War he was living in Cantonment Street Fremantle and was working as a Lumper on the wharf.

On the 8^th February 1916 Sam went to the Perth Drill Hall to enlist in the AIF. The medical examiner recorded his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 7 ½ inches tall;

Weight - 137lbs;

Chest Measurement - 34-37 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - blue;

Hair - brown; 

His religious denomination was Presbyterian.

Samuel was sent to Belmont Camp where he was assigned to the 10^th Reinforcements to the 28^th Battalion. Sam trained with this group in WA until the end of March 1916. Prior to embarking the 10th Reinforcements had their photo taken at Belmont Camp.

On the 1^st April his group arrived at Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the HMAT Ulysses and set sail for Egypt. Upon arriving there three weeks later, Sam’s group were disembarked and sent to the 7^th Training Battalion. He remained here for over a month and on the 2^nd June 1916 embarked on the HMT Minnitonka with the 7^th Training Battalion for England.

Arriving at Plymouth on the 12^th June 1916 the men of Sam’s group were disembarked and sent to the 7^th Training Battalion’s new cap at Rollestone on the Salisbury Plains.

Sam remained in England for the next three months training with this unit, though he was also given leave, perhaps taking the opportunity to visit his homeland of Ireland. However with the 28^th Battalion being severely depleted during the Somme battle, reinforcements were needed and so on the 11^th September 1916, Sam arrived at Etaples in France where he was marched into the 2^nd Australian Division Base Depot. He remained here until the 24^th September and was then taken on strength of the 28^th Battalion in Belgium.

Sam was assigned to “D” Company and was given the position of Stretcher Bearer. After a few more weeks in Belgium the Battalion returned to the Somme battlefield near Flers. Despite the horrendous muddy conditions of this area the 28^th Battalion as part of the 7^th Brigade were detailed to attack German positions. On the 3^rd November 1916 the 28^th Battalion attacked the German trenches and despite the bravery of the troops involved the attack failed due to the impossible conditions.

Sam had a busy day collecting casualties and on one such errand of mercy a German sniper shot him through the head. He fell into a shell hole dead and a later report stated that he was later buried in the shell hole by the Divisional Pioneers. However after the war Sam’s grave could not be located and he is commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.