Historical information

Born: Edmonton, England, 10 January 1888
Home Town: Magill, Campbelltown, South Australia
Occupation: Seaman

Service Number: 176
Enlisted: 27 March 1915, Melbourne, Victoria
Last Rank: Gunner
Last Unit: 1st Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train
Died: Killed in action, France, 7 August 1916, aged 28 years
Cemetery: Gordon Dump Cemetery, Ovillers-la Boisselle
Gordon Dump Cemetery, Ovillers la Boisselle, Picardie, France
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Magill Honour Board, Magill War Memorial

27 Mar 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1st Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train, Melbourne, Victoria
4 Jun 1915: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, SN 176, 1st Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '24' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Macquarie embarkation_ship_number: A39 public_note: ''
4 Jun 1915: Embarked AIF WW1, SN 176, 1st Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train, HMAT Port Macquarie, Melbourne
7 Aug 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Gunner, SN 176, Battle for Pozières

The portrait has been used in this article :

"THE LATE GUNNER G. H. MARTIN.

Mrs. G. H. Martin, of Jackson-street, Magill, has been advised that her husband, Gunner G. H. Martin, was killed in action in France on August 7. He sailed from Melbourne for Egypt in June, 1915, and had been at the front in France since April last. He also served ten months in the Naval Bridging Train before joining the artillery. He was born in Edmonton, England, and lived in Magill for about five years. He was in his 28th year." - from the Adelaide Chronicle 30 Sep 1916 (nla.gov.au)

Significance

As his occupation was seaman, we can assume George Henry Martin visited the Mission. The Senior Chaplain, Alfred Hurney Goldsmith, RANR, was appointed chaplain of the Naval Bridging Train in 1914. (Jottings 31, Midwinter 1914). We can only imagine the two men knew each other and that the portrait was donated by George himself or by his family to the Mission.

Physical description

Portrait of ANZAC soldier in 1915