b. 24/11/1883 Whithorn, Wigtownshire, Scotland. d. 1960 Glasgow, Scotland.
DATE OF AM ACTION: 26/01/1917 Economia, Archangel, Russia.
Very little is known about William Martin other than the action which led to the Albert Medal. It is known that he married Eugenie Berthe, a French national, and they had a son Henry born in France in 1921. It is known that he did return to his native Scotland, and lived the majority of the rest of his life in Glasgow. By the early 1950s, he was a widower and was living at 33 Cleland Street in Glasgow. It is believed he died in Glasgow in 1960.
AM CITATION:
On the 26th January, 1917, a series of fires and explosions occurred at Economia, port of Archangel. When Captain Twidle arrived on the scene his ship was burning fiercely. On being informed that the Chief Engineer was alive, Captain. Twidle climbed on board but found that he was dead. He then examined the other rooms and found a Chinese sailor in a dazed condition. With the assistance of Mr. Martin and Mr. MacBryde this man was got over the ship’s side across the ice, and eventually to the Red Cross station. About four minutes after the seaman had been removed the vessel blew up.
BURIAL LOCATION: UNKNOWN.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN. SOLD AT AUCTION IN 2013.
