Heslop's Local Advertiser
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Frederick Martin was born 1894 at Hebburn, County Durham, he was the youngest of 3 sons. His father John Martin born 1869, native of Sunderland married at South Shields in 1890 local girl Barbara Catherine Stokes born 1870. Newly married they were living at 2, Chapel Row, Hebburn with their 5-month old son James Grant. By 1901 they had moved to Kirkup Buildings at Pelton with sons William (9) and Frederick (6), unfortunately James Grant Martin had died in 1891 before reaching his first birthday. John Martin worked all his life as a coal miner/hewer, he was joined by his sons at the colliery, William (19) and Frederick (16) in 1911 were employed as brakemen below ground. They were living at 212, Ouston Square, Birtley, in order to subsidise the family income they had taken in 2 boarders, coal miners Thomas Smith (49) and William Welsh (48).
On the outbreak of war Frederick enlisted at Newcastle-upon-Tyne assigned as Private 4331 to the 1st/6th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers a Territorial Force with its Head Quarters at St. George’s Drill Hall, Newcastle where A to H Companies were all based. They departed to France in April 1915 to join the 149th Brigade, 50th Northumbrian Division in the field. They participated at the Second Battle of Ypres in Belgium, April-May 1916.
Private 4331 Frederick Martin was killed in action May 26th 1916 and interred at La Laiterie Military Cemetery, West Vlaanderen, Belgium, grave XI. A. 8. He was 21 years old and single.
He had nominated his mother as sole beneficiary, she received all monies due to him, a pension and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, sent to her at 12, The Avenue, Felling, Gateshead, County Durham. She also commissioned, at a cost of 14 shillings, an additional inscription to be added to his military headstone, it reads, “God Took Our Loved One From Our Home But Not From Our Hearts”.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
His death was reported in Heslop's Local Advertiser 23/06/1916:
"Private Frederick Martin, killed in action on May 26th, aged 22 years. Son of John and Barbara C. Martin, 12 The Avenue, Felling.
Frederick Martin is not remembered on any local memorial.
