tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6968731805806935033.post6783399129770338192..comments2017-03-11T10:56:39.617-08:00Comments on Random Petals : A Voice From Gallipoli: Part IIRose and Psychehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04436268815208240104noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6968731805806935033.post-25841463110526202352015-06-18T19:02:08.347-07:002015-06-18T19:02:08.347-07:00Have not found any more info on Martin, but the fo...Have not found any more info on Martin, but the following link is to a photo of the 6th Battalion's officers just prior to embarkation, so Martin should be in it!<br />http://www.ww1-yorkshires.org.uk/jpg-files/soldiers-photos/6th-bn-yorks-officers-01.jpg<br />meldahliehttps://www.fanfiction.net/u/3579600/meldahlienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6968731805806935033.post-14548682843206638762015-06-18T10:12:58.115-07:002015-06-18T10:12:58.115-07:00Wow, thank you for finding that information! If he...Wow, thank you for finding that information! If he was from Yorkshire, specifically Wakefield, he was possibly a relative of ours (however, I think that's probably unlikely). I looked for his name here: http://www.ww1-yorkshires.org.uk/ but didn't find him. Today is one of my 'I can't think clearly' days, so I'll look again later.<br /><br />If you do find out more, do let me know, and thank you /so/ much for what you've done already. <br /><br />~PsycheRose and Psychehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04436268815208240104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6968731805806935033.post-32900273512866442502015-06-18T09:08:08.089-07:002015-06-18T09:08:08.089-07:00Wow, thank you for finding that information! If he...Wow, thank you for finding that information! If he was from Yorkshire, specifically Wakefield, he was possibly a relative of ours (however, I think that's probably unlikely). I looked for his name here: http://www.ww1-yorkshires.org.uk/ but didn't find him. Today is one of my 'I can't think clearly' days, so I'll look again later.<br /><br />If you do find out more, do let me know, and thank you /so/ much for what you've done already. <br /><br />~PsycheRose and Psychehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04436268815208240104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6968731805806935033.post-55214126926115048552015-06-17T19:19:58.310-07:002015-06-17T19:19:58.310-07:00One tiny fact in his second letter gives Martin...One tiny fact in his second letter gives Martin's Regiment! He mentions "23 out of 26 officers gone." This was the number of officers and fatalities for the 6th Yorkshire Battalion of the 32nd Brigade (Alexandra Princess of Wales Own).<br />I quote from (cross referenced) Wikipedia: "The 6th Yorkshire Battalion of the 32nd Brigade was the first Kitchener Army unit to be involved in a major offensive operation of the war. Their action at Lala Baba Hill, on 7 August 1915, during the Suvla Bay landings, was costly, the commanding officer – Lieutenant Colonel E H Chapman – was killed as were all but 3 of the officers"<br />Martin, as he wrote, was lucky.<br />It would also seem he carried on being lucky, because I have searched the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site, and there is no grave or memorial for any Lieutenant forenamed Martin, killed after the date of his letter. Therefore, invalided out of the forces or sent on to the Somme with his regiment, Martin survived the war.<br />If I find more, I'll let you know.<br />Mel.meldahliehttps://www.fanfiction.net/u/3579600/meldahlienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6968731805806935033.post-86366229518810792252015-06-15T20:08:36.572-07:002015-06-15T20:08:36.572-07:00Thank you both for your comments. Since you both a...Thank you both for your comments. Since you both ask the same question, I'll answer you together. <br /><br />Tracing him would probably be possible, but it would be a monumental task. I don't know his regiment, or his last name. One envelope is missing, the other is redirected: sent care of someone else. There is no address. There are probably hundreds of Lieutenants named Martin who served at Gallipoli and later ended up hospitalized in Alexandria.Trying to find any information about the BM Hospitals in Alexandria, let alone records of patients, is next to impossible. Military records are a challenge because everyone remembers something different and war diary excerpts generally cost something to view. Not too long ago, we were trying to trace the exploits of my great Uncle (who fought and died in WWII) and despite knowing his name, serial number and squadron, we still can't figure out anything about what he did, or what rank he was (somebody forgot). I'm afraid the secret of Martin died with my great grandmother in the 1970s; she never spoke of these letters to anyone.<br /><br />Martin definitely returned to England. He was being invalided home, and unless his troop ship was torpedoed he would have made it back. However, I don't know if his injuries were extensive enough for him to stay home for the rest of the war. <br /><br />Thank you so much again, for your comments!<br /><br />~Psyche<br />Rose and Psychehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04436268815208240104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6968731805806935033.post-564904296494645082015-06-15T19:03:17.691-07:002015-06-15T19:03:17.691-07:00Thank you for sharing this, Psyche, and I'm wi...Thank you for sharing this, Psyche, and I'm with Laura Elizabeth as above: have you tried to trace him?<br />Hope you're feeling better soon,<br />Melmeldahliehttps://www.fanfiction.net/u/3579600/meldahlienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6968731805806935033.post-8337118726854574742015-06-10T18:06:40.409-07:002015-06-10T18:06:40.409-07:00I'm getting a bit teared up just reading that ...I'm getting a bit teared up just reading that letter; I mean, it's mostly a very straightforward, matter-of-fact letter, but ... the poor fellow. Man. I don't get choked up too easily.<br />Have you ever tried to find him? Find a grave, maybe, or something? I can't remember if you mentioned whether you even know his last name.<br />Also, if you don't mind a bit of a personal question, why don't you let us know your great-grandmother's name? Not a criticism, just curious :D I think it's amazing that you have these letters, written years ago by someone who has probably been forgotten by everyone else in the world. I hope he made it through that awful war alright, and got back home (didn't he say in the other letter that he'd just gotten married?).<br />I hope you yourself are feeling much better; my prayers are with you!Laura Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15043576932031107768noreply@blogger.com