Martin Lyons was born in Richmond on 30 January 1897. He was the son of Michael Edward Lyons, musician and musical instrument importer, and Bertha Scutt. His obituary in The Australasian reads:
The many friends of Mr Edward Lyons will learn with regret of his death, which occurred at his private residence, Royal Park, on January 26. Mr. Lyons was born in Limerick, Ireland, and, after seeing service in the Zulu and Kaffir wars in 1877, spent some time in Natal. He came to Victoria in 1882, and shortly afterwards was engaged by Messrs. Williamson and Musgrove for their opera season. Later on he played at a number of concerts under the baton of the late Professor Marshall Hall, eventually holding the position of professor of the clarinet at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. In 1888 Mr Lyons established himself in business as a wholesale importer of musical instruments, and took an active part in the management till quite recently.
Martin's parents divorced in 1902 and the judge decreed that the elder son, John Edward, should live with their father, and Martin to live with his mother. The following year Bertha married John Henry Richard Broughton, a commercial traveller and later a warehouseman.
Martin, too, was a warehouseman at the time he enlisted on 7 January 1916. He gave his mother as his next of kin with a Toorak address, although this was later amended to 16 Vale Street, East Melbourne. He gave his own address as C/o Mr. J McEntee, Seaford, Victoria, storekeeper. He stated that he had had three months military experience with the Senior Cadets 60A in 1915. He was appointed to the 5th Battalion, 21st Reinforcements at Broadmeadows.
He embarked on 6 October 1916 aboard the Nestor and disembarked 16 November at Plymouth and was sent to France in mid-January 1917. Most of his service record is limited to time spent in hospital sick mainly with respiratory illness. He was eventually invalided back to England in early May 1918 when he was described as dangerously ill. He left England for return to Australia on 19 October 1918 with pleurisy in both lungs. He was admitted to the Military Sanatorium McLeod and was still there in June 1919 when he was absent from a bed check. He recovered, and in late 1923 he wrote from ‘Eurungel,’ Bamawm, requesting that his medals be sent to him there. In 1925 he married Johanna Doyle at Echuca. He lived at Bamawm, near Rochester, and died at Echuca on 27 March 1984.