- Edward Fowell Martin
Infobox Military Person
name= Edward Fowell Martin
lived= 22 August 1875 - Death date and age|1950|9|22|1875|8|22|df=yes
placeofbirth= Launceston, Tasmania
placeofdeath= Perth, Western Australia
caption=
nickname=
allegiance=Australian Army
serviceyears= 1898-1919
rank= Brigadier General
commands=
unit=
battles=World War I
awards=Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Distinguished Service Order
laterwork=sergeant-at-arms of theWestern Australian Legislative Assembly .Brigadier General Edward Fowell Martin CB, CMG, DSO (22 August 1875 -22 September 1950 ) was anAustralian Army Brigadier General who served inWorld War I .Early life and career
Edward Fowell Martin was born in
Launceston, Tasmania on22 August 1875 . The family moved to New South Wales where Martin was educated at King's College, Goulburn. He worked as an accountant in a bank before joining a woolbroking firm. Martin joined the Army Service Corps as a private in 1898. He was commissioned in 1903 and reached the rank of major on1 August 1913 .World War I
On
18 August 1914 , Martin joined theAustralian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF). The force sailed forNew Guinea on theHMAT Berrima . On14 September 1914 , he led the advance on Toma, where the German acting governor had established his headquarters. After the German surrender, Martin landed at Madang with a half company of infantry and a half company of naval reservists for a garrison and took charge there. He was District Administrator until February 1915, after which he returned toAustralia where his appointment to the AN&MEF was terminated on4 March 1915 .On
7 May 1915 , Martin was appointed to theFirst Australian Imperial Force as a major in the 17th Battalion. The battalion left forEgypt on12 May 1915 , where Martin became second in command of the battalion on2 June 1915 . The battalion arrived at Anzac on19 August 1915 where it was committed to Battle of Hill 60 on 27 to 29 August, taking many casualties. In September the battalion took over at Quinn's Post. Martin contracted dysentery and was evacuated to Egypt on13 September 1915 . He returned on8 December 1915 , just before the evacuation.The 17th Battalion departed
Alexandria forMarseilles on23 March 1916 . Martin was appointed to command the 17th Battalion with the rank of lieutenant colonel on19 April 1916 in place of Lieutenant Colonel Goddard, who had been evacuated to Australia sick. The 17th Battalion was committed to Pozieres in July and took heavy casualties. The battalion remained in the line, participating in the capture of the Pozieres. For his performance -- and that of his battalion at Pozieres, Martin was mentioned in dispatches and awarded theDistinguished Service Order (DSO).Martin was evacuated with the flu on
23 December 1916 , returning to the 17th on17 February 1917 . During the German counterattack at Lagnicourt in April 1917, Martin's headquarters was caught up in the fighting. At Menin Road on20 September 1917 , he moved it into a shell hole in the front line so as to better supervise the defence effort. Martin was mentioned in dispatches twice more in 1917 and he was made a Companion of St Michael and St George (CMG). Martin was made a brevet lieutenant colonel in the AMF on24 September 1917 .On
9 March 1918 , Martin became temporary command of the 7th Brigade. On29 March 1918 Martin became a temporary colonel. He relinquished command on3 May 1915 and immediately took over command of the 5th Brigade. On28 June 1918 , the position became permanent and Martin became a temporary brigadier general. He was promoted to colonel in the AMF on9 July 1918 .On
31 August 1918 , the 5th Brigade took Mont St Quentin, the capture of Mont St Quentin by the men of the 2nd Division was widely regarded as the finest fighting feat of the war. For his part in the 1918 fighting, Martin was mentioned in dispatches three more times and was made a Companion of the Bath (CB) on3 June 1919 . He left forAustralia on12 July 1919 , arriving in Sydney on26 August 1919 . He appointment to the AIF was terminated on8 December 1919 .Post war
In 1924 Martin moved to Perth where he became an accountant with
The West Australian newspaper. In 1932 he was appointed sergeant-at-arms of theWestern Australian Legislative Assembly . He carried the mace for the next eighteen years. DuringWorld War II he helped organise the Volunteer Defence Corps in Perth. He died on22 September 1950 .ee also
List of Australian Generals References
* [http://www.unsw.adfa.edu.au/%7Ermallett/Generals/index.html Edward Fowell Martin Biography] in "General Officers of the First AIF"
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