Edwin John Martin was unusual, in that he enlisted in the A.I.F. twice and twice was found to be 'unfit for General Service'. In June 1915, Edwin John Martin enlisted in the army at Liverpool, N.S.W. He had been born in Kyneton, Victoria, and described himself as British born, aged 39 and nine months, single, and a journalist by trade. In fact, he was already 42 years of age, but probably feared being rejected from enlistment. He was a small man, only 5' 4 1/2" in height, with fair hair and blue eyes, and belonging to the Church of England. He had previous military experience having been in the Metropolitan Senior Cadets for two years, presumably when he was at school. He had left when declared medically unfit.His next of kin was his mother, Mrs Marion Martin, who initially was living at 'Baroda', Barkly St., St Kilda, but later moved to 56 Grey St., East Melbourne. His father, Edward Castledine Martin, had died in 1900. His death notice was in The Argus and The Age of 3rd May, 1900:
On 1st May, at his late residence 'Sherwood', Ruabon Rd., Toorak, Edward Castledine (journalist, chief Age reporter, secretary to various Royal Commissions) the dearly beloved husband of Marion Martin, in his 58th year.
Initially, Edwin Martin was given the number 2936 and placed with the 2nd Depot Battalion in the military camp at Cootamundra, then in the A Company Depot Battalion as a Private. He was only in training for four months before he was discharged from the army on 22nd October, 1915, following a report from the previous day:
I placed Private Martin of your unit under arrest for passing Main Guard without a Leave Pass. He is now at the Main Guard and if you wish him released, send someone up for him.
The reply was immediate and came in the form of a request to the A.A.G. Headquarters at Liverpool:
Could this man be transferred to Reinforcements? I have overlooked his conduct on more than one occasion - but he persists in breaking leave when drunk.
On 16-20 October, Edwin Martin was charged with being Absent Without Leave and drunkenness. Following an inquiry he was Discharged Without Pay, 'unlikely to become efficient'. In his later application to re-join the army, he wrote that he was 'rejected unfit because of sickness contracted in camp'.
He re-applied to go to war on 22 May 1916, and on 23 October was placed with the 7/56th Battalion, taking the H.T. Ascanius from Sydney to England. By now, he was 44 or 45 years old. On 23 March 1917, he was moved to the 20th Battalion and joined the British Expeditionary Force at the Western Front. By now, the B.E.F. was in Belgium and in July 1917, fought a major battle against the Central powers at Passchendaele. The goal was to gain control of the ridges south and east of the city of Ypres. This battle was to end Edwin Martin's military career. He was taken ill and removed to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital. The report on him said
Age 45, enlisted 22/5/1916 in Sydney with 20th Battalion. July 1917, with B.E.F. France. Carried on all night while Batt. (Battalion) was in firing line, but could not carry on with the marching. He was exhausted and suffered from pains and cramps in the legs. Feels much better now he has had a rest.
A second report on 21 August, 1917, said:
Looks more than age given. Feels well now after a week's rest and expresses himself fit for clerical role.
Nil abnormal detected and has no symptons suggesting any abnormality ... for general service, temporarily unfit for service for one month.
Another note said 'over age and exhausted'.
Edwin John Martin was declared permanently unfit for general service. He was returned to Australia on the H.T. Berrima for discharge and on 6 March 1918, left the army.
This is when he disappeared. Other than an Edwin John Martin, b.1875 in Adelaide, the son of Edwin William Martin and Elizabeth Forward, who married Emma Rosalie Cox at Semaphore, South Australia on 18 March, 1876, and did not go to war, there seems to be no trace of him. One reason may be because he had been christened William Edwin John Martin, but did not use the first name
On the other hand, there is an army record for Edward Percy Martin, who similarly was born in Kyneton in 1875, the same year and place as Edwin John Martin. He enlists on 13 July, 1915, East Melbourne and in every physical particular is almost identical to Edwin John Martin: 5' 4" in height, with blue eyes and brown, not fair, hair and a member of the Church of England. While Edwin John is a journalist, Edward Percy was a clerk.
Edward Percy Martin was given his army number 4167, and attached to 10th Battalion during training, then placed with the 22nd Infantry Battalion, 9-12 Reinforcements on 28 January, 1915. On 7 March, 1916, the new recruits left from Mebourne on the HMAT Wiltshire. The Nominal Roll shows Edward's next of kin to behis sister, Grace, then at the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne and his Melbourne address as being that of his mother, Marion Martin. The new recruits were sent to Egypt for further training, and on 19 April, 1916, Edwin was transferred to the 60th Battalion.
Raised in Egypt on 24 February, 1916, the 60th was a new battalion, formed from Gallipoli veterans and new recruits, both largely from Victoria. The new battalion formed part of the 15th Brigade of the 5th Australian Division. Edward Percy Martin was not with the battalion for long, only 23 days. On 12 May, he was placed in the No. 3 Auxiliary Hospital at Heliopolis with kidney problems and marked 'unfit for service'.
On 19 July, he was out of hospital, serving at A.I.F. Headquarters at Cairo and on 14 August, was sent back to Australia on board the H.T. Clan McGillivray and discharged from further service on 15 October 1916.
This takes us back to the family. Perhaps they were twins. However, while there is a family tree for Edwin Percy Martin, Edward John does not appear as a member of the family. Edward Percy (1872) had siblings: Arthur McDonald 1870-1953; Edgar Castledine 1876-1953; Herbert Reseigh 1878-1879; Marion Amy 1879-1903; Gilbert Leon Cecil 1881-; Clarence Reseigh b.1884: Grace Susannah b.1887; Elsie Nancy Bell b.1887. However, there is no mention of either a William Edwin John or simply an Edwin John Martin. Either he was simply missed out in the compilation of family records or deliberately erased. There are three Public Member Trees on Ancestry for this family, yet not one of them mentions Edwin John Martin. Given his birth date, height and connection to Marion Martin, he was born the third son, after Arthur(1870) and Edward Percy (1872), but there no records of his birth as Edwin John Martin and neither are there any electoral roll entries. The sole sign that he lived is this small article recording his death.
Edwin Martin died on April 23rd 1924. The Labor Daily of Thursday, 15 May, 1924, recorded his death:
An inquest into the circumstances of the death of Edward John Martin (49), formerly a journalist on 'Truth' Newspapers, was held yesterday. Martin died at North Sydney on April 23rd. Mr Jamieson, City Coroner, found that Martin died from falling and striking his head on a hard surface.
This gives us some clues: he was living in Sydney, while his other siblings were in Victoria; he was a heavy drinker when in his forties and his unfortunate death may have been as a result of drunkenness. He was 51 years old and single, and may not have been in touch with his siblings. As a result, the family might have just forgotten him as the years passed on.
His brother, Edward Percy Martin married Violet May Mathes in 1920 and died at Bairnsdale, Victoria, in 1946.
NAA War Service Records Edward John Martn, Edwin Percy Martin.
Embarkation Forms, Nominal Roll for Edward John Martin + Edwin Percy Martin
Trove: Death notice Edward Castledine Martin, death notice, Edward John Martin