2615745 Pte Joseph Martin, 1st Battalion Parachute Regt

HI,
Looking for any info on Pte Martin who was with the 1st Battalion from August 1941 until he was wounded and captured at Arnhem 24th September 1944 - in December 1943 he was in HQ Company. Any more information on which Platoon/Company he was with at Arnhem and the circumstances of his capture would be good (I have his liberation questionnaire)

Thanks in advance

Alistair

 

Thanks for moving it, your right he was Grenadier Guards including BEF before volunteering for the Paras.

Thanks

Alistair

 

1st, 2nd or 3rd Bn ?

 

I think that you must have the Liberation Report for Joseph Martin. The date of capture might suggest that he was in one of the British Dressing Stations such as the Tafelberg or the Schoonoord when there was a ceasefire to enable the Germans to evacuate the wounded from those locations which were in the front line of the fighting. Naturally as they were taken away they became POWs
John

 

Morning


You must have bought these ?? (copy of all docs)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rare-WW2-Parachute-Regiment-Arnhem-P-o-W-AB64-Paybook-Paperwork-/301131443928?nma=true&si=Yd6llv9DE478%252BJ%252F6iImt%252BGF0l88%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Regards,

Graeme

 

Hi,
Graeme, your right got those at the weekend - there was another similar group (but with medals and other bits) but it was a bit rich for me - maybe if it hadn't been the 2 on 1 day.

Andy, I'm afraid I don't know - as you may be able to pick out from the link he mentions being and France and Dunkirk with the BEF but nothing more - maybe when I get the group in something will jump out.

John, that's a possibility - I got his liberation questionnaire from another forum member but other than confirming his unit and date of capture it doesn't add much.

In Reg Curtis book "Churchill's Volunteers" he has a Nominal Roll which had a "Martin" I think in the Reinforcement Company Mortars (need to double check that though) - he also has a "Martin" named in a group photo but not sure if its him, is Reg still around? I've met and written to him in the past so could again.

Cheers

Alistair

 

Have you contacted Peter Vrolijk in the Netherlands, he seem to have a lot of info on 1st Parachute Battalion

 

Hi,
I've spoken to Peter about Pte Martin - he gave me the detail that he was in HQ Company in 1943 but didn't have anything else at the moment - your right he does have lots of info on the Battalion.

Cheers

Alistair

 

Hi Alistair

I have him on my list as being in HQ Company at Arnhem.

I also have a note that he may have been a driver for Leo Heaps.If memory serves me right, and I'm not at home at present, so don't have the book to hand, Heaps refers to a Driver Martin who was with him on some of his escapades.I also have his POW number and camp details, but from what I can see from Graeme's posting, you will already have that and plenty more.

It looks a nice collection

Graham

 

For information - from Ancestry

UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945 about J Martin
Name: J Martin
Rank: Private
Army Number: 2615745
Regiment: Army Air Corps
POW Number: 118725
Camp Type: Oflag
Camp Number: 79
Camp Location: Brunswick, Lower Saxony
Record Office: Army Air Corps and Army Catering Corps Record Office, Drill Hall, East Claremont St., Edinburgh 9
Record Office Number: 45

TD

 

Hi Alistair,

Assuming Graham is correct there is an account by Heaps on the Pegasus Archive in which Martin his driver is mentioned several times. It's perhaps a passage from his book, Grey Goose of Arnhem?

http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/leo_heaps.htm

Regards ...

 

hi, the possible link to Leo Heaps is an interesting one, I've dug out my copies of grey goose and also the evaders which both seem identical in content at least in the parts mentioning his driver, his pay book has very little info so doesn't give any clarification if driver was his trade, I'll need to read a bit more

Thanks

Alistair