Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookas a Carpenter and Joiner; joined the Middlesex Territorials in June, 1912; volunteered for foreign service on the outbreak of war in Aug. 1914; trained at Sittingbourne; went to Gibraltar, 7 Sept. 1914, and died in the Military Hospital there, 23 Jan. 1915, after undergoing an operation for appendicitis, contracted on service; _unm._ [Illustration: =William Herbert Martin.=] =WOOD-MARTIN, FRANCIS WINCHESTER=, Capt., 1st Battn. Suffolk Regt., 4th and yst. _s._ of Col. William Gregory Wood-Martin, of Cleveragh, co. Sligo, A.D.C., J.P., D.L., by his wife, Frances Dora, dau. of Roger Dodwell Robinson, of Wellmount, co. Sligo, J.P.; _b._ London, 27 Feb. 1880; educ. Cheltenham; gazetted 2nd Lieut., 1st Battn. Suffolk Regt., 12 Aug. 1899; promoted Lieut. 30 Aug. 1900, and Capt. 11 Feb. 1906; served in the South African War, 1899-1902; took part in the operations in Cape Colony, south of the Orange River, 1899-1902, including actions at Colesberg (1-5 Jan.) being taken prisoner, but was released in the following June when Lord Roberts entered Pretoria. He was appointed Station Officer in the Transvaal and took part in the operations east of Pretoria, July-29 Nov. 1900, and in the Transvaal, Dec. 1900-31 May, 1902, receiving the Queen's medal with three clasps and the King's medal with two clasps. On the outbreak of the European War he served with his regt. in the Expeditionary Force, and was killed in action near Ypres, 17 Feb. 1915; _unm._ His elder brother, Capt. J. I. Wood-Martin, was killed at Neuve Chapelle, 12 March, 1915 (see following notice), and a memorial was erected to their memory in St. Anne's Parish Church, Strandhill, and in the Cathedral at Khartoum. [Illustration: =Francis W. Wood-Martin.=] =WOOD-MARTIN, JAMES ISIDORE=, Capt., 2nd Battn. Northamptonshire Regt. (58th), eldest _s._ of Col. William Gregory Wood-Martin, of Cleveragh, co. Sligo, A.D.C., late R.G.A. and 44th Regt., etc. (see preceding notice); _b._ 3 Sept. 1874; gazetted 2nd Lieut., 2nd Battn. Northamptonshire Regt., 20 Feb. 1895; promoted Lieut. 23 Feb. 1898, and Capt. 2 June, 1903; served with the Mounted Infantry in the South African War, 1899-1902; took part in operations in the Orange Free State, Feb. to May, 1900; operations in the Transvaal west of Pretoria, July to Nov, 1900; including action at Venterskroon (7-9 Aug.), operations in the Orange River Colony, May to Nov. 1900; including actions at Lindley (1 June), and Rhenoster River; operations in the Transvaal, May, 1901, to May, 1902 (severely wounded, Queen's medal with three clasps, and King's medal with two clasps). On the conclusion of the war he was attached to the Egyptian Army, 4 April, 1903, to 3 April, 1913, being Lieut.-Col. Commanding the 9th and 11th Sudanese. In 1905, he took part in the operations in the Sudan against the Nyam Nyam tribes in the Bahr-el-Ghazal Province (Egyptian medal with clasps). On the outbreak of the European War he left with his regt. for the Front, served in France and Flanders, and was killed in action, while leading his men in a charge against the enemy, near Neuve Chapelle, 12 March, 1915; _unm._ His yr. brother, Capt. F. W. Wood-Martin, was killed, 17 Feb. 1915 (see preceding notice). [Illustration: =James I. Wood-Martin.=] =MARTYN, EDWARD THOMAS=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 8487), 194645 Chatham, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914. =MARVIN, HENRY=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 8452), 203011 Chatham, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914. =MASEFIELD, ROBERT=, Major, 1st Batt. King's Shropshire L.I., eldest _s._ of Valentine Vickers Masefield, of Akaroa, New Zealand, by his wife, Isabel, dau. of (--) McKay, of Pigeon's Bay, New Zealand, and nephew and adopted _s._ of Col. Robert Taylor Masefield, C.B., formerly commanding 4th Battn. Shropshire L.I., late of Ellerton Hall, Newport, Salop, and now of Woodbury, Devon; _b._ Gough's Bay, Canterbury, New Zealand, 24 May, 1872; educ. Marlborough (Crescent), 1884-90, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst; gazetted 2nd Lieut. to 2nd Battn. King's Shropshire L.I., 18 June, 1892, and shortly after posted to the 1st Battn. at Hong Kong, going with it to India; became Lieut. 21 Aug. 1895, and Capt. 9 June, 1901; joined the 2nd Battn. in South Africa in 1902, took part in the operations in the Transvaal, March 31 to May, 1902 (Queen's medal with two clasps) and returned with it to India on the close of the campaign; promoted Major at Secunderabad, 18 Sept. 1912. On the outbreak of the European War he was home on furlough, and was ordered to join the 1st Battn. at Tipperary, 8 Aug. 1914. They proceeded to the Front on 8 Sept. and were in the trenches on the Aisne, near Vailly. On 12 Oct. the Shropshires were moved north to help to bar the first rush on Calais, and during the following days--hastily entrenched and holding an extended front in flat country--had to beat back incessant and determined attacks from superior numbers. On 24 Oct. Major Masefield, commanding A Coy., was also left 2nd in command of the battn., and was killed in the trenches near Bois-Grenier, between Armentières and Lille. Of his death on that day his Capt. wrote: "It was in the trenches of A Coy. We had been fighting hard for five days, and D Coy. had lost all their officers except one, so at 12 o'clock I was taken from A to go to D Coy. trenches. I said good-bye, and he took my seat. It was there at about 4.30 p.m. he was killed instantaneously by shrapnel shell in the back." Many tributes to his memory were received from his brother officers and men, and his feelings for them may be best expressed in his own words, in almost his last letter: "The men are splendid, always cheery--full of thrust and ready for anything--we cannot do enough for them." A Private in A Coy. wrote: "His last thoughts were for his men, his last words telling us to keep our heads down as much as possible"; and a Sergt.: "It was a critical time as another strong attack was expected ... he himself was (standing against the traverse) watching the front ... cheering his men and preventing any signs of possible panic or unnecessary risk at a most nerve-trying time.... He died, as he had lived, a gallant gentleman." Brother officers wrote: "You know we all loved him, from the Colonel down to the newest recruit...." and "we always said the regt. would be all right as long as Masefield was with it"; and his Colonel (himself wounded): "Always cheery and ready for work under all conditions, he will be hard to replace." A fine soldier and sportsman, he was a first-class shot, both big and small game, and a keen fisherman, and he also excelled in all games, in most of which he played for his regt. He _m._ at Farnham, co. Surrey, 2 July, 1908, Esmé, dau. of Col. Henry Spencer Wheatley, C.B. (late 3rd Gurkhas), of the Knoll, Farnham; _s.p._ [Illustration: =Robert Masefield.=] =MASON, ALBERT EDWARD=, Ordinary Seaman, J. 16559, H.M.S. Pathfin |