Chailey Parish Magazine notes in October 1914 that John Martin is serving his King and Country. This information is then repeated up to and including September 1915.
John Sidney Martin was born in Newick in 1895, his birth registered at Lewes district in the June quarter
of that year. He appears on the 1901 census living at Church Road
with his parents and seven siblings. The household comprised, William John Martin
(head, aged 47; a self employed builder), his wife Adela Martin (aged 42) and their eight children. In age order they are: William Henry Martin (an 18 year old carpenter), Florence Kate Martin (aged 15),
Mabel Grace Martin (aged 13), Edith Cicely Martin (aged 11), Alfred Geoffrey Martin (aged ten), John (aged five), Daisy Evaline
Martin (aged four) and Horace Raymond Martin (aged two).
John and Horace certainly went to school in Newick (and it’s reasonable to assume that the other
children, all born in Newick, did so as well). Years later, when the two boys
joined the army, they sent photos of themselves to their old headmaster, John Oldaker, and his notes for John Martin read
as follows:
John Sidney Martin
(1903-1909)
Enlisted before the war, 10th Royal Grenadier Signalling Corps,
3d Battn, 1st Canadian Contingent. Went to France Feb 1915. Taken prisoner near
Ypres, April 1915. Confined in Germany until the end of the war.
John’s service record exists in Canada
and the first two pages of his attestation papers can be downloaded on line. Contrary
to what John Oldaker wrote, John was not a regular soldier but enlisted on 22nd September 1914 at Valcartier. Two numbers – but no regiment – are noted: 638 and 9866.
John’s date of birth is recorded as 19th April 1894. This
is almost certainly incorrect and I think it likely that he simply aged himself by one year in order to be old enough to enlist. His brother Horace would do exactly the same when he enlisted in 1916. Newick is noted
as his place of birth and 26 McRoberts Place, Toronto,
Ontario as his place of residence. William Martin is noted as his next of kin. John’s trade is recorded as silversmith.
He was five feet six and a half inches tall had a dark complexion, hazel eyes and black hair.
Sources and Acknowledgements
- Chailey Parish Magazine
- Library and Archives Canada
- Simon Stevens for sending me the photograph that appears
on this page, and for the notes that John Oldaker kept on his old pupil
