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James Hall Martin (1871-1932)


Private in the Royal Scots who rose through ranks to command 8th DLI awarded the DSO


James Hall Martin was born on 12 July 1871 but nothing more is known of his family or early life. He enlisted in the Royal Scots Regiment in July 1889 and served in South Africa during the Boer Wars. He rose to the rank of colour sergeant and received the Queen’s South Africa Medal with three clasps and the King’s Medal with two clasps. By 1906 he had risen to the rank of regimental sergeant-major (RSM) and on 18 September 1908 was enrolled in the Unity Peace and Concord Lodge of the Freemasons while serving in Colaba, Maharashtra, in India.

On 23 August 1914 James landed in France with the 1st Battalion Royal Scots but was wounded a month later and returned to England, having been awarded the Military Cross, the Medaille Militaire and being mentioned in despatches. On 6 March 1915 he was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant and returned to Europe a month later. He was then appointed a temporary lieutenant on 10 June 1915 until June 1916. In February 1916 he was seconded as adjutant to the Border Regiment until March 1917. He was promoted to full lieutenant on 13 May 1916. On 25 March 1917 he was transferred to the 8th Battalion Durham Light Infantry as acting major. On 18 May 1917 he was appointed temporary lieutenant-colonel in command of the 8th Battalion. He was then seconded temporarily to the King’s Own (Royal Lancashire) Regiment in December, when he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and mentioned in dispatches.

Having been wounded at Pozieres on 26 March 1918, James returned to the Durham Light Infantry and continued to command the 8th Battalion until October 1918 when he was transferred to the Leicestershire Regiment in command of the 1st Battalion. After the war ended he was put in command of Royal Army Ordnance Corps troops in the Calais area until April 1920 when he returned to England. He retired with the rank of lieutenant-colonel on 15 April. For several years thereafter he lived in Frimley, Surrey with his wife, Margaret, before moving to Windsor Castle, where he was appointed a Military Knight, and died there on 31 July 1932.

Birth date: 12-Jul-1871

Death date: 31-Jul-1932

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: 177 London Road, Frimley, Surrey (Surrey, England, Electoral Registers, 1921-1927)
8 Lower Ward, Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire (England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1932)

Family: Wife: Margaret Martin

Military service:

Royal Scots & 8th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry
Lieutenant-Colonel

Medal(s): Distinguished Service Order
Military Cross
Mentioned in Despatches (5)
Queen’s South Africa Medal with 3 clasps
King’s South Africa Medal with 2 clasps
1914-1915 Star
British War Medal
Victory Medal
Medaille Militaire

Gender: Male

Contributed by John Edwards


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