Private Martin Joseph Flaherty
Service #: 5019
Summary
BACKGROUND
Martin Joseph Flaherty was born on the 4th June 1894, in Gundurimba, Lismore, son of Edward Flaherty and Mary Bugden Flaherty. He was the second youngest of 9 children, according to NSWBDM. His mother is buried in Murwillumbah cemetery as is his sister, Margaret.
ATTESTATION
Martin travelled to Lismore on 4 September 1914 to complete his application. He answered several questions on the document, and we find out he was a single man and gave his occupation as labourer. His next of kin was his mother, Mary, of Murwillumbah. He had 1 year as a senior cadet. He then signed a declaration confirming he had answered the questions correctly and was willing to voluntarily agree to service in the Military Forces of the Commonwealth of Australia
PAGE 2
CERTIFICATE OF ATTESTING OFFICER
On the second page of the attestation documents the attesting confirms the following; “The foregoing questions were read to the person enlisted in my presence. I have taken care that he understood each question, and his answer to each question has been duly entered as replied to by him”
OATH
He also made the following oath in the presence of the Attesting Officer: “I, Martin Joseph Flaherty, swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force until the end of the War, and a further four months thereafter unless sooner lawfully discharged, dismissed or removed therefrom: and that I will resist His Majesty’s enemies and case His Majesty’s peace to be kept and maintained; and I will in all matters appertaining to my services faithfully discharge my duty according to law
SO, HELP ME, GOD.”
MEDICAL EXAMINATION
Martin was 21 years 5 months old, 5 ft 6 inches tall (1.68m). He had fair complexion, blue eyes and reddish hair. Martin was Roman Catholic. He had a scar 6inches below his right knee.
PAGE 3
CERTIFICATE OF MEDICAL EXAMINER
The medical examiner certifies I have examined the abovenamed person, and find that he does not present any of the following conditions, viz: -
Scrofula; phthisis; syphilis; impaired constitution; defective intelligence; defects of vision, voice, or hearing; hernia’ haemorrhoids; varicose veins, beyond a limited extent; marked varicocele with unusually pendent testicle; inveterate cutaneous disease’ chronic ulcers; traces of corporal punishment or evidence of having been marked with the letters D. or B.C; contracted or deformed chest; abnormal curvature of spine; or any other disease or physical defect calculated to unfit him for the duties of a soldier.
He can see the required distance with either eye; his heart and lungs are healthy; he has the free use of his joints and limbs; and he declares he is not subject to fits of any description. I consider him fit for active service
CERTIFICATE OF COMMANDING OFFICER
This is completed during the recruits training. The commanding officer certifies that this attestation of the abovenamed person is correct, and that the required forms have been complied with. He then states “I accordingly approve, and appoint him as private with the 26th Infantry Battalion with service Number 5019
TRAINING AT RIFLE RANGE CAMP, ENOGGERA
As was the case with men from the Northern Rivers district in New South Wales, they trained at Rifle Range Camp, Enoggera near Brisbane. The Barracks Block was built as accommodation for men in two dormitories, each 36 feet by 22 feet (10.97 x 6.7 metres). Beds or bunks were not provided, instead each man slept on a palliasse with ground sheet on the floor. For many it was their first time away from home. Men from every walk of life, from clerks and teachers to factory and shop workers, were crammed together
Now training for the new recruits began. Firstly, the recruits had to be inducted into military forms of discipline, command, and order. This was partially achieved through a program of basic training carried and, in a sense, was maintained for a long as a man was in the service. It involved marching and drilling with the rifle, cleaning and caring for personal equipment and being supervised and inspected in ways quite different to ordinary civilian life. For example, no boots should be allowed to get in a bad state of wear but must be sent to the bootmaker without delay for repair. Men who were found with hair long and unshaven had to have a haircut and shave
Secondly, after basic training there followed the far more serious exercise of turning a man into a fighting soldier at least partially prepared for the kind of warfare he was about to experience overseas. The topics and exercises in the syllabus of training were a world away from their former lives and included daily physical training, entrenching, wiring, firing rifle grenades, firing the Lewis light machine gun, dealing with gas attack, using hand grenades, using the bayonet, and the routines to be followed in the trenches.
This training was then put into practice during what were called ‘Field Days,’ when men would practice using the skills they had acquired in mock attacks both by day and by night. How well men had learnt to use their weapons, in cooperation with each other in training, would be tested in the harsh reality of the front line. Training could take several months
INNOCULATIONS
All recruits were given a range of inoculations while in camp. The most important jab was to protect against smallpox and typhoid – indeed, having this was an essential precondition of enlisting.
THE UNIFORM
The recruits were issued with their uniform- service dress jacket was made of Australian wool and its loose fit gave the wearer more allowance for movement. The four large pockets were very useful. A unique feature designed for comfort was the pleated back, which provided a double thickness of cloth down the back that the pack rubbed against. Breeches were corduroy worn with wool wrap puttees. The famous khaki felt slouch hat or early service cap is probably the most distinctive part of the uniform. turned up on the left and featuring a plain khaki band, chinstrap and “rising sun” badge.
SOLDIER’S KIT
Australia's World War I soldiers went to war weighed down by almost 30 kilograms of clothes, weapons, tools and kit.
· Breeches: made from khaki woollen cord fabric, with side pockets and button flies. Soldiers were issued with two pairs of breeches, plus a pair of dungarees. The breeches ended above the ankles and the gap was filled with puttees.
· Braces: worn with breeches.
· Puttees: The men wound these strips of woollen cloth, almost three metres long, upwards from the ankle to just below the knee. Soldiers disliked the puttees, probably with good reason: the tight binding restricted circulation and might even have contributed to the high incidence of trench foot. Mounted troops wore leather leggings.
· Shirt: Soldiers were given two grey, collarless, flannel shirt, plus a military shirt.
· Ankle boots: brown and lace-up.
· Socks: Made from wool or cotton. Soldiers were issued with three pairs.
· Greatcoat: the khaki woollen coat (which weighed about 3kg) often doubled as a soldier's bedding and was his chief protection against the cold and wet. The coat came into its own when snow hit Gallipoli in November 1915 and also on the Western Front.
· Jersey
· Singlets: Soldiers were issued with 2 woollen singlets.
· Cotton "drawers" (underpants): Soldiers were issued with two pairs.
· Abdominal belts: a sort of cummerbund that was issued to keep soldiers warm and supposedly ward off disease.
· Backpacks and webbing: The main backpack was a rectangular sack measuring about 15 inches x 13 inches, closed at the top by a folding cover secured by two straps. The webbing included a web belt, cartridge pouches, small haversack, bayonet frog, an entrenching tool holder (plus another holder for its handle), and a water-bottle holder.
· Identity disc: Soldiers were initially issued with one medal "dog tag" on a cord, but later in the war they were given two tags, made of compressed fibre.
· Soldiers were also issued with a "housewife" - a sewing kit containing such items as needles, thimble, thread, wool and button so they could carry out running repairs.
· Also in their kit were a short-magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) rifle, a rifle sling, a bayonet and scabbard, and an "entrenching tool" (they were "diggers" after all). This came in two parts, with the helve (handle) separate from the spade part.
· Soldiers were issued with eating equipment (knife, fork, spoon, an enamel mug, water bottle (with two-point capacity), and a mess tin with carrier.
· They also had a clasp knife (with marlin spike, tin-opener and lanyard), razor, shaving kit, soap, comb, two towels, field dressing (carried in the tunic's inside pocket), and a hold-all, in which they could pack their private possessions.
· No item was probably looked after more carefully than their service pay book: privates were paid five shillings a day.
VOYAGE OVERSEAS FROM BRISBANE TO EGYPT
Martin embarked at Brisbane, aboard HMAT Seang Choon on 4 May 1916. Alongside his comrades, he marched aboard, his boots ringing on the gangway. As the ship’s lines were cast off and the quay began to slip away, the reality of war lay ahead, but for now, the sea breeze carried only the sound of voices and the excitement of men bound for adventure, duty, and the unknown.
SLEEPING & LIVING ARRANGEMENTS
Recruits likely slept in a crowded troop deck below, where rows of hammocks or three-tier wooden bunks were crammed close together.
Air below decks could be stuffy, especially in warmer climates, and seasickness was common during the first few days.
DAILY ROUTINE
Reveille early each morning, followed by physical exercises on the open decks (weather permitting). There were parades and inspections—officers ensured uniforms, rifles, and kit were clean and in order. Training was a little problematic—drill without much space, rifle maintenance, lectures on military discipline, signalling, and trench warfare theory. The ship’s decks were used for marching in tight circles or practising bayonet thrusts into stuffed sacks. Rifle shooting was impossible at sea, so soldiers learned to strip and clean their weapons until it was second nature.
MEALS
Three hearty meals a day were served; breakfast usually consisted of porridge, stew, and tea. Lunch included soup, meat, vegetables, and pudding. Meat, bread with jam and tea was served for dinner. The meals were served in shifts from the ship’s galley. Queues were long, and eating on a rolling ship meant many tried to eat quickly before nausea set in.
HEALTH & SANITATION
Shipboard hygiene was critical—every man was ordered to scrub his section daily to prevent disease. Saltwater baths were the norm, with freshwater rationed for drinking.
THE VOYAGE EXPERIENCE
Entertainment included church drill, concerts, singalongs, card games, and makeshift cricket matches on deck when the weather allowed. To keep up morale, an area of the ship was roped off where regular boxing and wrestling tournaments were held. This became commonly known as the Stoush Stadium. No letters could be sent until they reached port, but men often wrote diaries or unsent letters to be posted later.
The troops engaged in lifebelt drill; a cookhouse on deck; soldiers on fatigues peeling potatoes 'spud bashing'; going to the dentist; barber, pay day; soldiers cleaning personal equipment; medical inspection
CROSSING THE EQUATOR CEREMONY
The crossing the Equator ceremony, ‘Neptune’s Journey,’ was played-out on each troopship.
SIGHTS AT SEA
On the way to Egypt the ship would pass through the Great Australian Bight, cross the Indian Ocean, and stop at Colombo (Ceylon now Sri Lanka) for coal and supplies.
SECURITY
By late 1914, German raiders were active, so lifeboat drills were frequent, and lookouts kept watch for suspicious ships. Troopships generally sailed in convoys or at least took zig-zag courses to make torpedo attacks harder. Ships often travelled under blackout conditions at night, with lookouts specifically watching for periscopes or torpedo wakes.
APPROACHING EGYPT
After several weeks at sea, the men finally saw the dusty shoreline of Port Said or Alexandria. The reality of leaving home truly sank in. The recruits would soon exchange the ship’s cramped decks for the sandy training grounds of Egypt, preparing for what lay ahead.
EGYPTIAN TRAINING CAMP.
The ship arrived on the 15th June 1916. During an interim period, soldiers typically:
· Recovered from the voyage: After long sea travel from Australia, troops needed time to rest and regain strength.
· Underwent medical inspections: To check for illnesses, infections, or conditions like venereal disease that might delay their training.
· Received equipment and uniforms: Egypt's heat made the heavy wool uniforms uncomfortable. As a result, lighter clothing was often issued or obtained locally. Soldiers frequently wore:
ü Khaki cotton shirts without the tunic
ü Lightweight drill uniforms made from cotton
ü Shorts on some occasions, particularly in camp
ü Pith helmets or sun helmets for fatigue duties and work in the sun, although the slouch hat remained the iconic Australian headgear
· Were assigned to training battalions: Administrative processing sorted soldiers into reinforcement drafts for specific front-line battalions.
· Drilled lightly: They performed light drills, parades, and familiarisation routines while waiting for formal training slots to open.
HOSPITALISED MYOCARDITIS JULY 1916
The Australian camps around Tel el Kebir, in the Egyptian desert northeast of Cairo, were crowded with thousands of troops undergoing intensive training under often harsh conditions.
On 13 July 1916, Martin was admitted to hospital at Tel el Kebir suffering from myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle. During the First World War, this diagnosis could arise following infections such as influenza, rheumatic fever, bronchitis, or other illnesses that placed strain on the heart. Symptoms commonly included fatigue, breathlessness, chest discomfort, palpitations, weakness, and an inability to cope with strenuous exercise.
For a soldier in a training camp, myocarditis was taken seriously. The Army was understandably reluctant to send a man with a suspected heart condition into active service, where long marches, heavy equipment, extreme weather, and combat stress could place enormous demands on the cardiovascular system. Treatment options in 1916 were limited, so the principal remedy was rest. Martin would likely have been confined to a hospital ward, excused from all training, and placed under observation by medical officers who monitored his pulse, breathing, and general recovery.
The hospital at Tel el Kebir was a substantial military medical establishment. Although far more comfortable than a battlefield dressing station, conditions remained basic by modern standards. Patients were housed in wards or tents, given regular meals, and encouraged to rest while doctors assessed whether they were fit to return to duty. For many soldiers, simply being removed from the relentless heat, dust, and physical exertion of camp life aided recovery.
DISCHARGED AND TAKEN ON STRENGTH JULY 1916
Fortunately, Martin's condition appears to have improved quickly. On 25 July 1916, after less than two weeks in hospital, he was discharged and taken on strength (TOS) of the 26th Battalion once more. This indicates that the medical authorities considered him sufficiently recovered to resume military duties. He would have rejoined his comrades as the battalion continued preparing for overseas movement. The timing was significant. During July 1916, the Australian divisions were beginning to move from Egypt to France to enter the fighting on the Western Front. Thus, Martin's brief hospitalisation occurred during the final weeks of the battalion's Egyptian service. His return to duty meant he was able to continue with the unit rather than being left behind as a medical case, allowing him to take his place with the battalion as it prepared for the next stage of its wartime journey.
VOYAGE TO ENGLAND AUGUST 1916
In August his battalion sailed to England to be trained for the Western Front
TRAINING CAMP ENGLAND
When the recruits arrived in England, they entered a period of intensive preparation that was both physically demanding and strategically vital. During an interim period, soldiers typically:
· Underwent medical inspections: To check for illnesses, infections, or conditions like venereal disease that might delay their training.
· Received equipment and uniforms: This included British-issued gear better suited to the Western Front.
· Were assigned to training battalions: Administrative processing sorted soldiers into reinforcement drafts for specific front-line battalions.
· Drilled lightly: They performed light drills, parades, and familiarisation routines while waiting for formal training slots to open.
Then formal training began. Life in camp was austere and relentless. The recruits lived in wooden huts that offered little protection from the English weather, and the damp cold of the Plain came as a shock to men who had trained in Australia and Egypt. Days began early, often before dawn, with physical training designed to build endurance and toughness. Long route marches across the open downs were a regular feature, men carrying full packs, rifles, ammunition, and equipment as they were conditioned for the demands of trench warfare.
Training was systematic and increasingly realistic. The men would have spent many hours on the parade ground mastering drill, weapon handling, and unit manoeuvres, but the focus soon shifted to battlefield skills. The battalion practised trench warfare techniques, including entering and clearing enemy trenches, bombing drills with Mills grenades, bayonet fighting, and the rapid consolidation of captured positions.
Musketry training was constant. The men would have fired thousands of rounds on the rifle ranges, honing accuracy, and speed, learning to fire from awkward positions and under time pressure. Lewis gun teams trained separately, while all infantrymen were taught how to operate the weapon if needed. Gas warfare instruction was also compulsory; men practised donning respirators under simulated gas attacks, a grim but necessary preparation for conditions at the front.
Between training cycles, the battalion undertook further instruction at nearby camps on Salisbury Plain, including periods at Perham Down, another major training area used to relieve overcrowding and provide additional field space. Here the emphasis was on large-scale exercises involving entire brigades, practising attacks behind creeping artillery barrages, night operations, and movement under cover. These exercises often lasted days, with men sleeping in the open, reinforcing the endurance and discipline required for front-line service.
Despite the hard routine, there were moments of respite. When training schedules allowed, the men may have been granted short leave to nearby towns such as Salisbury or even London, where Australian soldiers briefly escaped the rigours of camp life. These interludes, however, were short-lived, and the training intensified as the battalion’s departure for France drew closer.
After many months of continuous preparation in England, the men were judged ready for active service. The recruits had been transformed from a newly arrived reinforcement into a fully trained infantryman, accustomed to discipline, hardship, and the mechanics of modern war. When the battalion finally crossed to France, it did so as a cohesive and well-drilled unit, prepared—so far as training could allow—for the brutal realities of the Western Front.
HOSPITALISED VENEREAL DISEASE SEPTEMBER 1916
On the 9th September Martin was hospitalised for Venereal Disease. The sense of adventure, the loneliness, and the loss of family life that overwhelmed many of the overseas volunteers during the First World War often found them on leave in large cities or small towns where alcohol and women were plentiful, and a lack of available prophylaxis allowed the spread of diseases such as gonorrhoea and syphilis to reach epidemic levels. Historians claim that the average incidence rate for this disease in the AIF was around 12 per cent
Treatment for venereal disease in the Australian Imperial Force during WWI primarily involved hospitalisation, strict rest, and medical therapies available at the time. Soldiers were often treated with salvarsan (an arsenic-based compound) or mercury-based preparations, which were administered by injection or topical application. These treatments aimed to cure the infection but could be uncomfortable and required careful monitoring due to side effects. In addition to drug therapy, patients were given regular medical inspections, hygiene instruction, and restrictions on activity until fully recovered. Lengthy stays in hospital—often several weeks or months—were common, as doctors ensured soldiers were no longer infectious and fit to return to duty
Martin was discharged after 39 days on the 17th October 1916
FRANCE DECEMBER 1916- MORE TRAINING
On the 4th December the soldiers left England on the Princess Victoria, arriving in Etaples on the 5th December 1916. The camp at Étaples, on the northern coast of France, was one of the largest military training and reinforcement centres used by the British Expeditionary Force during the war. By 1917, more than 100,000 troops could be found among its sprawling network of tents, huts, depots, hospitals and training grounds spread across the sand dunes near the English Channel. Almost every Australian reinforcement or recovered casualty passed through Étaples before proceeding to the front line. The camp was constantly busy, with trains arriving day and night carrying fresh troops, wounded men returning from hospital, and supplies destined for the battlefields of the Western Front.
Life at Étaples was demanding and often unpopular. Soldiers underwent intensive training designed to prepare them for trench warfare, including rifle practice, bayonet fighting, grenade throwing, gas-mask drills and battlefield exercises. Much of this training took place in the notorious "Bull Ring," where instructors enforced strict discipline and expected high standards from men who were often only days away from entering combat. Many Australian soldiers found the routine exhausting, particularly those who had already served in the trenches and had been sent back through the camp after recovering from wounds or illness. Despite the hardships, the training at Étaples was intended to ensure that every man reaching the front possessed the skills needed to survive and fight effectively in the harsh conditions of the Western Front.
TAKEN ON STRENGTH ON 22ND FEBRUARY 1917
When he was taken on strength of the battalion in France on 22 February 1917, the 26th was holding sectors of the line opposite the German defences that formed part of the great Hindenburg Line. The battalion spent the following months alternating between front-line duty, reserve positions, working parties, and periods of training.
MARCH APRIL 1917
In March and April 1917, the Australians followed the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line. Although it appeared the enemy was retreating, the withdrawal was carefully planned and the Germans left behind demolished roads, destroyed villages, booby traps and strong defensive positions. The 26th Battalion participated in the advance through the devastated countryside around Bapaume and the Somme battlefields.
APRIL MAY 1917 BATTLE OF BULLECOURT
The battalion then fought during the bitter battles around Bullecourt in April and May 1917. These attacks against the Hindenburg Line were costly and confusing. Men endured heavy shellfire, machine-gun fire and difficult fighting around belts of wire and concrete strongpoints.
THE FIRST BATTLE OF BULLECOURT 11TH APRIL 1917
The First Battle of Bullecourt occurred on 11 April 1917, involving Australian and British forces attacking German positions in the Hindenburg Line, resulting in heavy Allied casualties and limited tactical success.
OVERVIEW
The First Battle of Bullecourt was part of the Battle of Arras on the Western Front during World War I. It took place on 11 April 1917, with the 4th Australian Division and the 62nd British Division ordered to attack the German-held village of Bullecourt, a key position in the Hindenburg Line. The operation aimed to support the British Third Army to the north and the French Army to the south
PLANNING AND EXECUTION
The attack was initially
scheduled for 10 April, but was postponed because the twelve tanks intended
to crush the German barbed wire failed to arrive on time. Despite this, the
British 62nd Division advanced, unaware of the delay, and suffered early
casualties in what became known as the "Buckshee Battle" The
main assault began at 4:30 am on 11 April, with Australian brigades
advancing under heavy machine-gun and artillery fire
The Australians managed to infiltrate the German front line and seize
part of the second line, achieving a feat considered nearly impossible without
artillery support However, communication breakdowns and the failure of
most tanks left them exposed on both flanks, cut off from reinforcements,
and vulnerable to German counter-attacks
CASUALTIES AND OUTCOME
The battle ended in failure for the Allies within hours. Australian forces suffered approximately 3,000–3,700 casualties, including 1,100 prisoners, while German casualties were significantly lower. The tanks largely failed to provide the intended support, with only one reaching the front line and the rest breaking down or being destroyed. Survivors expressed bitterness and distrust toward both the tanks and the British command
Significance
Although the Australians demonstrated remarkable courage and persistence, the First Battle of Bullecourt highlighted poor planning, inadequate artillery support, and coordination failures within the British command. Strategically, the battle did not achieve significant gains, but it set the stage for the Second Battle of Bullecourt in May 1917, which involved further attempts to capture the village. The engagement also contributed to a growing distrust between Australian troops and British commanders during the war
SECOND BATTLE OF BULLECOURT MAY 1917
In May they joined the Second Battle of Bullecourt (part of the Battle of the Somme), where they were used mainly in a support role during the initial attack, being held back as part of the 2nd Division's reserve. During the attack, a company from the 26th was detached to help bolster the 5th Brigade, and later it was thrust into the line to help defend the gains after a German counterattack fell on the 6th Brigade's left flank.
Despite the failure of a first attack on 11 April 1917, a few weeks later General Gough once again tried to break the Hindenburg Line at Bullecourt. On 3 May 1917 the 2nd Australian Division attacked with the British alongside. Although the brigade on the right faltered under deadly machine-gun fire, the 6th Brigade got into the enemy’s trenches and, despite heavy shellfire and counter attacks, bravely held on.
The 1st Division relieved the 2nd, and soon the 5th Division took its turn. Finally, after more than a week, the Germans gave up these blood-soaked fields. Then the depleted Australian battalions were withdrawn to recover. The furious fighting, which in the end only advanced the line a kilometre or so, had been at the heavy cost of another 7,000 Australian casualties.
'The Second Bullecourt battle was, in some ways, the stoutest achievement of the Australian soldier in France'.
SUMMER AND AUTUMN 1917 THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES- PASSCHENDAELE
During the summer and autumn of 1917, the 26th Battalion moved north into Belgium and became involved in the long Third Battle of Ypres, better known as Passchendaele. The conditions there were among the worst experienced by Australian soldiers during the war. Rain, mud, shellfire and exhaustion dominated daily life. Even when not attacking, battalions spent countless nights carrying supplies, digging trenches, repairing duckboards and holding exposed positions.
THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES KNOWN AS BATTLE OF PASSCHENDAELE, (JULY 31–NOVEMBER 6, 1917),
This battle that served as a vivid symbol of the mud, madness, and senseless slaughter of the Western Front. The third and longest battle to take place at the Belgian city of Ypres, Passchendaele was ostensibly an Allied victory, but it was achieved at enormous cost for a piece of ground that would be vacated the following year. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers on opposing sides attacked and counterattacked across sodden, porridgelike mud, in an open gray landscape almost empty of buildings or natural cover, all under the relentless harrowing rain of exploding shells, flying shrapnel, and machine-gun fire. Few gains were made.
The Third Battle of Ypres is remembered for its immense human cost and the resilience of those who fought in it
By the end of 1917 the Australians were occupying sectors around Ypres and preparing for the coming year.
PIGEON SCHOOL – JANUARY 1918
On 11 January 1918, Martin attended Pigeon School in Belgium, returning to the battalion on 14 January. Military pigeons were an important part of battlefield communications. Telephone wires were frequently cut by shellfire, runners could be killed or delayed, and wireless communication was still in its infancy. Carrier pigeons provided a reliable method of transmitting messages from front-line positions back to headquarters.
At Pigeon School Martin would have received instruction in:
· care and handling of carrier pigeons,
· attaching message capsules,
· preparing concise military messages,
· releasing birds under operational conditions,
· protecting birds during movement and combat,
· procedures for reporting intelligence and emergency information.
The course was short because soldiers were not being trained as professional pigeon handlers. Rather, battalions wanted selected men familiar with the system so that pigeons could be used effectively during operations.
The school itself was likely conducted behind the lines in the Ypres area by specialist signal personnel. Training was practical rather than academic. Martin would have handled birds, learned the communication procedures and practised preparing messages before returning to his unit three days later.
DISCIPLINED FEBRUARY 1918
On the 3rd February Martin went AWL from the 9pm tattoo and was admonished by Lt Pearson
After returning from the course on 14 January 1918, Martin rejoined the 26th Battalion in Belgium. The battalion spent the winter in the Ypres sector, rotating between front-line trenches, support positions and reserve camps. Winter warfare was miserable. Men contended with freezing weather, flooded trenches, mud, and constant enemy shelling. Much of their time was devoted to repairing defences, improving dugouts, maintaining duckboard tracks and undertaking patrols into No Man's Land.
GERMAN SPRING OFFENSIVE MARCH 1918
Then, on 21 March 1918, the Germans launched their great Spring Offensive (Operation Michael). The offensive threatened to break through the Allied lines before large numbers of American troops could arrive. Australian divisions, including the 7th Brigade and the 26th Battalion, were rushed south from Belgium to help stem the advance.
During March and early April, Martin and the battalion would have been moving, digging defensive positions, manning reserve lines and preparing for what appeared to be a potentially decisive German breakthrough. It was a period of intense activity and uncertainty.
DETACHED TO 7TH BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS APRIL 1918
On 13 April 1918, Martin was detached to 7th Brigade Headquarters, remaining there until the 7th December 1918, nearly eight months.
This is a significant clue. Soldiers were not usually detached to Brigade Headquarters unless they possessed a useful skill.
Given that Martin had attended Pigeon School, one very likely possibility is that he was employed in the Brigade's communications organisation.
A brigade headquarters was effectively the command centre for four infantry battalions. The Brigade Commander and his staff were responsible for planning operations, coordinating attacks, receiving intelligence, communicating with battalions, maintaining contact with divisional headquarters, organising artillery support, and overseeing logistics.
The headquarters required a large support staff, including signallers, clerks, runners, intelligence personnel, batmen, dispatch riders, and pigeon handlers.
WHAT MARTIN MAY HAVE BEEN DOING
If his Pigeon School qualification was the reason for his detachment, Martin may have been attached to the Brigade Signals section.
His duties could have included caring for carrier pigeons, transporting pigeon baskets to forward battalions, receiving and recording incoming messages, helping maintain communications during operations, acting as a runner when required, and assisting signal personnel with telephone and message traffic.
During major battles pigeons were often sent forward with assaulting troops so messages could be sent back even when telephone lines had been destroyed. Although Martin may not have been serving directly in a rifle company during these operations, Brigade Headquarters personnel often worked under shellfire and carried enormous responsibility. The flow of information could determine the success or failure of an attack.
WAR ENDED 11th NOVEMBER 1918
During his time in Headquarters the armistice that ended the First World War on the Western Front was signed between Germany and the Allies on 11 November 1918.
RETURN TO THE 26TH BATTALION
7 DECEMBER 1918 – REJOINED UNIT FROM BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS
Less than a month after the Armistice of 11 November 1918, Martin returned to the 26th Battalion. By this stage active fighting had ceased and the battalion's role had shifted to administration, training, inspections and preparing men for repatriation.
The return likely reflected the fact that the enormous wartime headquarters structure was beginning to be reduced as the Army prepared for demobilisation.
Attached to Divisional Headquarters
21 DECEMBER 1918 – ATTACHED TO DIVISIONAL HEADQUARTERS, FRANCE
Only two weeks after rejoining the battalion, Martin was again selected for headquarters duties.
This is another clue that he possessed skills valued by staff officers. Divisional Headquarters operated on an even larger scale than Brigade Headquarters. A division contained approximately 15,000–20,000 men and required an extensive administrative and communications organisation.
By late 1918 and early 1919 Divisional Headquarters was heavily involved in processing service records, organising leave, arranging educational schemes, preparing troop returns, planning repatriation, and administering the gradual winding down of the AIF in France.
RETURN TO THE 26TH BATTALION
7 MARCH 1919 – REJOINED 26TH BATTALION FROM DIVISIONAL HEADQUARTERS
After more than two months at Divisional Headquarters, Martin returned to his battalion for the final time.
RETURN TO AUSTRALIA
12 MARCH 1919 – PROCEEDED TO BASE FOR RETURN TO AUSTRALIA
This was the beginning of the long journey home. Martin left the battalion and entered the repatriation system, where soldiers underwent medical examinations, administrative processing and transport arrangements before departure.
15 MARCH 1919 – ADMITTED 39TH GENERAL HOSPITAL, FRANCE – N.Y.D.
"N.Y.D." meant "Not Yet Diagnosed."
This was a common temporary entry when a soldier reported sick but doctors had not yet determined the cause. The fact that he was discharged only three days later suggests the complaint was minor and not considered serious.
18 MARCH 1919 – DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL, ÉTAPLES
The great hospital complex at Étaples had treated hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers during the war. By 1919 it was still functioning as a major medical and transit centre
26 MARCH 1919 – DISEMBARKED AT WEYMOUTH, EX FRANCE
Martin crossed the English Channel to Weymouth, one of the principal ports used by Australians returning from France. For many soldiers this crossing marked a significant emotional milestone. The war zone was finally behind them.
15 MAY 1919 – LEFT ENGLAND FOR RETURN TO AUSTRALIA PER YPRINGA
After spending several weeks in England awaiting transport, Martin boarded the troopship Ypringa for the long voyage home. The atmosphere aboard returning troopships was very different from wartime voyages. The threat from German submarines had ended, and the men occupied themselves with concerts, sports, lectures and planning their civilian futures.
CLOTHING AND NECESSITIES GIVEN TO SOLDIERS FOR SOLDIERS PROCEEDING TO AUSTRALIA FOR DEMOBILISATION
Badges Hat Badges Collar (2) Bags kit universal
Bags kit sea Braces (pair) Brush, shaving
Brush, tooth Breeches M.S (Military service)
Cap comforter (warm cap) Comb, hair
Disc identity with cord Drawers (2 pairs)
Great Coat Hat, Khaki fur Hat, white
Holdall Housewife (compact sewing kit)
Jackets Cardigan Jackets S.D (service dress)
Leggings 1 pair Laces, leather 1 pair
Puggarees, small (a traditional Indian head wrap, worn in warm conditions
Puttees, 1 pair (cloth bandages worn by soldiers, to provide support and protection
for the lower leg)
Razor Shirts, flannel (2) Socks, 3 pairs
Singlets (2)
Strap chin Soap piece Suit, working
Towels, hand (2)
Titles “Australia” (4)- Australian soldiers and non-commissioned officers wore an “Australia” title at the base of their shoulder straps. Each serving soldier also wore unit titles above this which indicated the units to which they belonged
5 JULY 1919 – DISEMBARKED AT MELBOURNE FOR BRISBANE
After nearly four years of service and time spent in Egypt, England, France and Belgium, Martin finally set foot on Australian soil again. He had his train pass and set off for Brisbane and home at Murwillumbah.
21 AUGUST 1919 – DISCHARGED FROM THE A.I.F. AT BRISBANE, TERMINATION OF PERIOD OF ENLISTMENT
This was the formal end of Martin's military career. His service had carried him from Queensland to Egypt, through the battles of the Western Front, into Brigade and Divisional Headquarters during the climactic campaigns of 1918, and finally home to Australia after the war's conclusion.The entries in Martin’s records reveal a soldier who earned the confidence of his superiors. Being selected for prolonged service at both Brigade and Divisional Headquarters suggests that Martin was regarded as reliable, competent and capable of handling responsibilities beyond those of an ordinary infantry private.
For his service Martin was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal and his name is recorded on the South Gundurimba Public School Roll of Honour
AFTER THE WAR
Martin married Adelaide Gwendolin Waugh in Murwillumbah in 1925. In a stat dec signed in 1936 his address is the Brisbane suburb of Ashgrove.
DEATH AND BURIAL
Martin died on the 20th October 1944 aged 50, at Tweed Heads, and is buried in Tweed Heads Old General Cemetery, Plot L14
If you have any additional information about this individual, we invite you to email us at rsl@msmc.org.au.
Memorial Location
South Gundurimba Public School Roll of Honour
Buried Location
Tweed Heads Old General Cemetery, Plot L14
