MARTIN, James Edward

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Known as:

Slinger

Rank:

Major

Unit / Base:

3 Commando

Regiment/Corps:

Pioneer Corps

Service:

Army

Service Number:

131024

Honours & Awards:

Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Died :

Saturday, December 31, 1966

Place died or last resided:

Wooton, Bedfordshire

Age:

Operations:

'Vaagso - Operation Archery'

Dieppe - Operation Jubilee

‘Sicily - Operation Husky’

Termoli - Operation Devon

Normandy - Operation Overlord

James Edward 'Slinger' Martin joined No.3 Commando on 5 March 1941 as their Administrative Officer. A veteran of the First World War he had served as a Trooper with the 9th Lancers, and after WW1 he was posted to the 16th Lancers attaining the rank of Regimental Sergeant Major.

15.05.1940 commissioned Lt (Quartermaster) in the Pioneer Corps. (LG 34877, page 3772.)
05.03.1941 joined No.3 Commando (No.3 Cdo. War Diary Field Return Officers 7 Aug.'43.)
Appointed MBE for gallant and distinguished service in NW Europe (LG 37302, page 4994.)
22.09.1949 relinquished commission war substantive rank Captain on enlistment into the TA. (LG 38805, page 101.)

Extract from Commando Association Newsletter 44 (March 1967).

"We are grateful to Brigadier Peter Young, D.S.O., M.C., M.A., F.S.A., and our President, Lt.Colonel Peter Bartholomew, D.S.O., for their permission to print extracts from their joint appreciation of the late Major James Edward Martin, M.B.E., for several years a member of the Association General Committee.

'Slinger' Martin began his military career in the 9th Lancers. He went out to France as a very young trooper in 1915, saw a good deal of fighting, much hardship, and, though wounded, came through still bent on a military career. After the war, he greatly distinguished himself as a roughrider, and as Army Champion in the sword, Iance and pistol event at Olympia.

Commissioned early in the War, he joined No. 3 Commando as Administrative Officer in that first difficult winter of hope-deferred. His cheerful and efficient presence did much to dispel the prevailing gloom. Quartermasters are a strange race, so some think, but 'Slinger', as a good- cavalryman should, showed himself 'ready for anything', even change. How it fell to his lot to storm, with a couple of stouthearted storemen, a house at Vaagso, is not quite clear; but as, Lord Lovat once said "In a Commando everyone comes under starter's orders".

On D-Day, 'Slinger' went in with our first flight - not many men with 1914-18 medals up can have hit the beach at 'H'+90, and No. 3 will always recall the glorious moment when at the head of his jeep-convoy he burst through to Angoville, where the First Commando Brigade was sitting somewhat precariously in the German second line. No award gave more pleasure to his many friends than Slinger's M.B.E. We have lost the best and truest of comrades. All our sympathy goes out to his widow."

Photo of Commando in Gallery:

Yes

Archive pages :

No 3 Commando