Name
Arthur Henry Martin
1880
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
04/07/1916
36
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
3/7638
Bedfordshire Regiment
7th Bn.
‘B’ Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ABBEVILLE COMMUNAL CEMETERY
IV. F. 3.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial,
St Mary's Church Roll of Honour (Book), Hitchin,
Not on the Ickleford memorials
Pre War
Arthur Henry Martin was born in Maidenhead, Berks in 1882, the son of George William and Maria Martin of Birmingham.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at Norton End, near Baldock, Hertfordshire. Not yet found in the 1901 census,
He married Eliza Day in 1904, but on the 1911 Census his wife Eliza was living with her parents Cornelius and Elizabeth Day, at their home in Ickleford with two daughters Queenie and Dorothy.
He is said to have served in the South African War and resided in Ickleford.
Wartime Service
Arthur enlisted in Hitchin and served with the 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment in France from 26 July 1915 when they arrived at Boulogne.
They were in action in the Fricourt area east of Albert through much of the rest of the year and fought in the Battle of Albert (Battle of the Somme) in July 1916.
It is likely that Arthur was wounded on 1 July 1916 when the 7th Battalion was involved in the Battle of the Somme and casualties were enormous. He was in ‘B’ Company. An artillery bombardment had started seven days earlier, before the attack which commenced at 7.30 am on the 1 July. The weather was appalling and the men stood in water-filled trenches. ‘B' Company was one of the assaulting Companies on the right of the 7th Bedfords’ line against Pommiers Redoubt. Severe machine-gun fire was suffered and the wire in front of the Redoubt had not been cut despite the bombardment. Nevertheless, it was captured by 9.30 am. They then went on to storm other trenches and ended up in Beetle Alley.
He died of wounds, aged 36, on 4 July 1916 at No. 2 Stationary Hospital (Register of Soldiers' Effects) which was at Abbeville from September 1915 to January 1920. He is buried at Abbeville Communal Cemetery, France.
Additional Information
His widow Eliza received a war gratuity of £6 and pay owing of £7 2s 3d. Pension records state that he had deserted his wife who then lived with and was dependent upon his brother. An allotment of 3s 6d was paid to his friend L Gardiner of 3 Kimbolton Road, Bedford.
Eliza married his brother George William Martin in 1917.
Arthur does have a connection with Ickleford, but is not listed on the memorial. This suggests that he may be the H Martin appearing on the Hitchin war memorial, however only the initial ‘H’ is shown. At the time of his death the 7th Battalion, Beds Regt was part of the 54th Brigade in the 18th Division.
The Lawson Thompson Scrapbooks in the North ‘Herts museum, show him as being in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment but the CWGC confirms the Bedfordshires.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
David C Baines, Brenda Palmer, Jonty Wild, www.longlongtrail.co.uk, www.bedfordregiment.org.uk
