Martin, Alexander (Alex)
Private
12/800, Auckland Regiment, New Zealand Expeditionary Force
Killed in action on Sunday 25 April 1915 (aged 20)
No known grave
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey (Panel 72)
New Zealand World War One Roll of Honour
Martin family grave headstone in Magheragall Parish Church Graveyard, Lisburn
Lisburn’s Dead 1914 – 1919 (Friends’ School Lisburn WW1 Research Project)
BIOGRAPHY
In the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Debt of Honour Website it is recorded that Private Alexander Martin (No. 12/800) was a son of John and Isabella Martin of Moor Farm, Donaghadee Co. Down. This Donaghadee connection is not substantiated by evidence from any other source. In other records his address is Moor Farm, Magheragall, Lisburn.
In his service papers the family address is on record as Hullstone, Lisburn.
His medals (1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal) were sent to his father at Beechgrove, Lambeg, Lisburn.
Born on 24 June 1894, Alexander Martin was a son of John and Isabella Martin (nee Mayes) who were married on 26 December 1890 in Magheragall Parish Church of Ireland Church Lisburn.
The Martin family lived in the townland of Magheraliskmisk, Mageragall, Lisburn.
John Martin was a farmer and he and Isabella had nine children:
Thomas (born 4 November 1891)
William Robert (born 3 February 1893)
Alexander (born 24 June 1894)
Sarah (born 10 January 1896)
John (born 4 February 1897)
James (born 27 June 1898)
Elizabeth Isabella (Lizzie, born 30 April 1900)
Samuel (born 18 September 1902)
Joseph (born 17 October 1904)
Alexander Martin moved to Australia in 1913, then to New Zealand where he lived in Patumahoe, Auckland and worked as a carter for P.Henry & Son.
He enlisted on 16 August 1914 in Hamilton, Auckland and in answer to the question of previous military service he declared ‘Sir Edward Carson’s Volunteers’.
It was noted that he was 5 feet 9 inches tall with a dark complexion, brown eyes and brown hair and he had a scar on his abdomen.
During the Great War he served with the 16th Company, Auckland Regiment NZEF and on 4 December 1914 he was posted to Egypt
On 12 April 1915 he left the Port of Alexandria bound for the Dardanelles.
Private Alexander Martin was reported missing in action on 25 April 1915 and believed dead was the finding of a Board of Enquiry held at Moascar Camp, Ismailia, Egypt on 16 January 1916.
Private Alexander Martin (No. 12/800) was 20 when he was killed in action on 25 April 1915 at Gallipoli. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the New Zealand World War One Roll of Honour; on the Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey; on the Martin family grave headstone in Magheragall Parish Church Graveyard and in Lisburn’s Dead 1914 – 1919 (Friends’ School Lisburn WW1 Research Project).
Alex Martin’s father served as a Rural Councillor in Magheragall and the Rev Dundas, Rector of Magheragall Parish Church of Ireland Church, paid tribute to Private Martin from the pulpit on Sunday 20 June 1915 after Alex had been reported missing in action.
Alex Martin’s brother Samuel lived in Junee, New South Wales, Australia.