Name
Kenneth Martin
1883
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/10/1914
30
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
7531
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star (with Clasp & Roses), British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LEEDS (LAWNSWOOD) CEMETERY
Screen Wall. W. 429.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
Graves not marked individually. Names recorded on screen wall
UK & Other Memorials
Anstey Village Memorial, St George's Church Memorial, Anstey, St Giles’ Church Plaque, Wyddial
Pre War
Kenneth Martin was born in Anstey, Hertfordshire on 30 June 1883 the son of Arthur and Sarah Martin (nee Skeggs).
On the 1891 Census the family were living at Flint Hall Cottages in Anstey where his father was working as an agricultural labourer. His maternal grandparents were living next door.
He enlisted in Royston, Herts, on 25 April 1903, joining the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, enlisting for three years. In the last two months of 1905 he trained to be a groom for the mounted infantry.
He married Kate Pledger on 16 January 1909 in Wyddial, Buntingford, Herts. and lived in Wyddial. Some records suggest they already had a child, Lily Irene Pledger, who was born in December 1906 although she was not living with them on the 1911 Census. They later had three more, Alfred (1910), Walter (1911) and Olive (1914).
At the time of enlistment he was working as an agricultural labourer.
Wartime Service
Having been a soldier for three years, this meant that he was a reservist for a further nine years and was called up at the outbreak of war. He re-joined the Bedfordshire Regiment on 5 August 1914, serving in France from 21 August 1914 and would have fought in the early engagements, Battles of Mons and Cateau in August, Battles of the Marne and Aisne in September and Battle of La Bassee in October.
Kenneth was wounded in action and repatriated to England where he died of his wounds on 23 October 1914, (aged 30), at No. 2 Northern General Hospital, Leeds, Yorks. He is buried in Leeds (Lawnswood ) Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Additional Information
Brother-in-law of John Pledger also commemorated on the Wyddial memorial, who served with the Royal Garrison Artillery and died in India in 1916,
His widow received a war gratuity of £5 and pay owing of £4 1s 11d. She also received a pension of £1 0s 6d a week for herself and three children.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Malcolm Lennox, www.ansteyvillage.co.uk/history
