Volunteers of Essendon and Flemington, 1914-1918

The headstone reads: "A Magpie Hero on and off the Field.  Peter James Martin, Collingwood Football Club 1901-1902 (15 games). Pte, 6th Btn 1st AIF, died July 24 1918 of wounds received at Pozieres, France, aged 42 years". Photo courtesy of Cheryl Griffin.

Martin P J        Pte    3399    Peter James                8 Inf Bn    40    Stoker    Married    R C       

Address:    Moonee Ponds, Ngarveno St, 18

Next of Kin:    Martin, L, Mrs, wife, 167 Melrose St, North Melbourne   

Enlisted:    9 Aug 1915       

Embarked:     A71 Nestor 11 Oct 1915 (Adelaide) 

Prior service:  Australian Garrison Artillery, 6 years. 

Peter James Martin was born in Geelong in 1875, and played football first for the Wellington Juniors, and for the Collingwood Football Club, in seasons 1901-1902.

Martin transferred to the 6th Inf Bn on 22 Feb 1916.

Martin's papers show he suffered a severe GSW to head in 1917. He received a fractured skull and had to have right eye excised. He was repatriated to Australia but died at South Melbourne in 1918 aged 41. 

His wife Lavinia lived firstly in Moonee Ponds, then in North Melbourne and in 1921 she was living in Main Street, Coburg.

War Service Commemorated

Essendon Gazette Roll of Honour Wounded

Regimental Register

In Memoriam

MARTIN. - A tribute to the memory of our late

fellow-employee, Private Peter J. Martin, who        

died at Base Hospital, Melbourne, on the 27th

March, 1918, as the result of wounds received

whilst in action in France. (Inserted by    

employees West Melbourne Gas Works.)        

Family Notices. (1918, April 13). The Argus

(Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 13.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1652527