MARTIN William Alfred

William Martin was born at Bromsgrove in 1885, one of 8 children of Benjamin and Alice Martin nee Brown. In 1911 he married Esmeralda Harriet Stanton and they had a daughter, Constance Gertrude Martin, born in 1913. The family resided in Westminster Road, Selly Park. William enlisted at Birmingham on 7th July 1916. Prior to joining the army he was employed as a printing machinist. He went to France on 13th February 1918.

Bromsgrove, Droitwich and Redditch Messenger, 1st June 1918:
Mrs W.A. Martin of Westminster Road, Selly Park, and now living with her mother, Mrs Stanton, The Strand, Bromsgrove, has received a letter from the chaplain, with the news that her husband, Private William Alfred Martin of the Royal Garrison Artillery was killed in action on May 14th. Private Martin was the elder son of Mr and Mrs Benjamin Martin of 15, Church Road, Sidemoor and was 33 years of age. He had been in the army nearly two years and on active service for the last two months. Before the war he was employed at Messrs Cadbury’s Bournville Printing Works and learned his trade as an apprentice at “The Messenger”, Bromsgrove. He leaves a widow and one child.