The Queens Own Royal West Kent R

The Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment

Corporal J W Martin

Corporal John William MARTIN, G/2142, 7th Battalion, Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment, killed in action, Flanders France, 2nd October 1916, age 19.

Born Canterbury, Kent, son of Frank William and Eliza Ellen Martin, of Angus House, New Dover Road, Canterbury, Kent.

1911 Census - 1 - 2 St Georges Street, Canterbury, Kent - Frank William Martin, head, age 52, married, draper, dressmaker, milliner, employer, at home, born Slaugham, Sussex; Eliza Ellen Martin, wife, age 48, married 27 years, 5 children, all still alive, born Warnham, Sussex; Frank Stanford Martin, son, age 25, single, drapers assistant, worker, at home, born Canterbury, Kent; Nellie Martin, daughter, age 23, single, born Canterbury, Kent; Lily Martin, daughter, age 21, single, born Canterbury, Kent; Dorothy Elizabeth Martin, daughter, age 16, single, born Canterbury, Kent; Beatrice? Mary Martin, daughter, age 10, born Canterbury, Kent; Ellen Stone, assistant, age 28, single, drapers assistant, worker, born Newhaven, Sussex; Augustus Sims, assistant, age 25, single, dressmaker, worker, born London; Arthur Janes, assistant, age 23, single, drapers assistant, worker, born Herne Bay, Kent; Graham John Willmott, assistant, age 21, single, drapers assistant, worker, born Hitchin, Hertfordshire; Daisy Atkins, servant, age 19, single, domestic servant, cook, born Ashford, Kent; Dorothy Mitcher, servant, age 18, single, domestic servant, housemaid, born Ash, Kent; Ethel Louise Roalf, servant, age 16, single, domestic servant, general, born Lower Hardres, Kent.

Note - Several assistants away for weekend not enumerated here.

Enlisted Tunbridge Wells, Kent, age 19 years & 24 days, height 5ft 6 inches. Formerly draper.

Home, 7th September 1914 to 25th July1915; BEF, 26th July 1915 to 2nd October 1916.

7th September 1914, enlisted & posted Depot, Royal West Kent Regiment; 9th September 1914, posted 7th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment; 26th July 1915, embarked; 15th March 1916, appointed unpaid Lance Corporal; 3rd July 1916, promoted Corporal.

12th July 1919, Statement of Relatives - Widow, none; Children, none; Father, Frank William Martin, 1 St Georges Street, Canterbury; Mother, Eliza Ellen Martin, 1 St Georges Street, Canterbury; Brothers - Frank Stanford Martin, age 34, 1 St Georges Street, Canterbury; Sisters - Nellie Chapman, Craigmore, Edgar Road, Sanderstead, Surrey; Lily Thomas, Montrose?, Canterbury; Dorothy Martin, 1 St Georges Street, Canterbury; Mary Martin, 1 St Georges Street, Canterbury.

14th July 1920, letter to Infantry Records from Hubert Chapman, brother in law - "Can you give me any information as to whether the grave of my brother in law, Cpl J W Martin, killed at Thiepval, 2nd October 1916, can be traced."

17th July 1920, letter to Hubert Chapman, from Infantry Records -"In reply to you letter received on 14th inst. I beg to inform you that no information in reference to the place of burial has been received in this office. If the grave has been located the particulars will be registered in the office of the Director of Graves Registration and Enquiries War Office, Winchester House, St James Square, SW1."

Commemorated at Thiepval Memorial, Pier & Face 11C, France.

This page was last updated on 15-Oct-2020.