People Australia

Geoffrey William Martin, n.d. photographer unknown

from Bank of NSW Roll of Honour

GEOFFREY WILLIAM MARTIN, son of Mr. and Mrs. Francis Martin, and nephew of Brigadier-General Martin, V.D., of Launceston, was born in Launceston on 7th March, 1896.

He was educated a t the Church of England Grammar School, Launceston, and entered the service of the Bank in that city on 10th April, 1912, and remained there until the date of his enlistment as a gunner in 1915.

He left Australia in October, 1915, with the 17th Battery, and his unit was posted to the Canal defences until March, 1916. Leaving for France in that month they were one of the first Australian units to go into action there. From this time onward he took part in most of the important actions in which the A.I.F. was engaged, including Pozieres, Mouquet Farm, Flers, Bapaume, Bullecourt, Messines, Nieuport, and the numerous actions at Passchendaele between 1st September and 30th October, 1917. In the following year he shared in the stemming of the German advance on Amiens in April, and took part in the great Allied advance at Villers-Bretonneux which started on 8th August.

During the course of his service he was promoted successively to the rank of bombardier, corporal, sergeant, secondlieutenant, and first-lieutenant, and was twice wounded.