Staff/Fleet Surgeon RN John Martin (librarian flummoxed)

[seaJane]

I've finally found it, I think - the question that defeats me ...  Here it is:-

 

"John Martin’s wife is buried in St Mark’s [Cemetery, Alverstoke].  The inscription states only that John was her husband; she was Blanche Sutherland Bushnell, 1869-1917 [father James Henry, Rear-Admiral, also in St Mark’s].  Her Probate states that they were living at 11 St Mark’s Road in 1917 and that John was a Fleet Surgeon – he was an Executor, so he was obviously alive then. << >> I do not have a birth  date for John senior, but I have tried a variety from him being 10 years younger to 10 years older than Blanche."

I found the date of their marriage: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2635-63M and on FreeBMD, but that doesn't give John's age on marriage. Blanche was born in Jersey and I have found her correctly on the 1911 census, aged 42.

None of her or John's children seems to be this man: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/naval-obituaries/8643949/Vice-Admiral-Sir-John-Martin.html despite the fact that his father was "a Dublin-trained surgeon in the Navy who rose to be a Surgeon Rear Admiral."

Staff Surgeon John Martin was at HMS DOLPHIN (Navy List Dec 1913) and, promoted to Fleet Surgeon, was temporary additional MO, Royal Hospital Malta (Navy List Oct 1915) from where he contributed a note on carbolic paste to the Journal of the Royal Naval Medical Service. I can find a few of his contemporaries (eg the distinctive Hugh Prideaux Turnbull) in the Gazette, but not him...

 

In brief, I can't seem to pin down the right John Martin anywhere.

 

Can anyone help?  

 

Thanks ever so ... 

 

seaJane

[sadsac]

Hello S.Jane.  Here are awards to a John Martin (Surgeon) - maybe all or one/two are `your man' ;

 

MARTIN John H.B MB. BA Surgeon RN 80E018 Inflexible Vice Admiral de Robeck N/E Despatch Service in Action in Inflexible in Dardanelles 18.03.15 N/E Went aloft into the Control Top with a Sick Berth Steward to get the wounded down. Subsequently Surgeon Martin with great difficulty cleared the After Distributing Station in the darkness which followed the mine explosion.

 

MARTIN John N/E Surgeon RN 80E009 N/E Vice Admiral Commanding Eastern Mediterranean 16.08.15 Gazetted. Dardanelles Operations prior to 25.04.15 Commended for Service in Action N/E

 

MARTIN John N/E Fleet Surgeon RN 78A015 Hospital Ship Bertice

Rear Admiral Invergordon N/E Recommended

Hospital Ships after Battle of Jutland 31.05.16 N/E

The Rear Admiral reports he was much struck with the excellent arrangements made on board this ship for the comfort and well being of patients and on much careful disembarkation.

 

Best for further research 

 

Sadsac

[michaeldr]

Jane/Sadsac

 

He may be the latter one who is mentioned at Jutland

 

I think that J H B Martin is his junior: he became acting Staff Surgeon only in 1917 – see http://www.jstor.org/stable/20308831?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

 

[HarryBrook]

In the 1911 Census - H.M.S. Fox

John Martin 36 married Staff Surgeon born Wentworth, Rotherham, Yorkshire.

 

Edit to add:-

In the 1939 Register - at 29C, Clarence Parade, Portsmouth (Parade Hotel?)

John Martin born 19 January 1875 (gave his marital status as married) Medical Officer Royal Navy.

[seaJane]

Thank you gentlemen! He was definitely just John Martin, no other names or initials.

 

I'll pass those on to my enquirer.

[seaJane]

PS Sadsac, I think that will be Berbice, not Bertice.

[HarryBrook]

Another fix on him. The announcement of his daughter's engagement in The Times on Thursday February 25 1926

 

[seaJane]

Excellent! Thank you.

[Simon_Fielding]

Not massively useful but interesting...

 

02 June 1900 - The Graphic 

 

[HarryBrook]

Placed on the retired list with the rank of Surgeon Capt. January 19 1925

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33014/page/516

[seaJane]

Continued thanks to everyone. I'm very grateful.

 

Going on the experience of one of his almost-contemporaries, I'm hoping that he joined the RN in 1897-8, in which case I may have a photo from Haslar.

[rolt968]

Hi Jane.

 

This may be just the beginning of my examination of the Medical Registers:

 

In the 1915 edition there are two John Martins given as being in the Royal Navy. There were almost certainly more but these two are likely to have been in the Navy pre-war.

One is John Harding Martin whom you have already mentioned, first registered in May 1907, which would make him too young, I think.

 

How about this man?

 

Martin, John: Royal Navy: First Registered (England) 3 August 1897: MRCS(England) 1897, LRCP(London) 1897.

 

Roger M

[HarryBrook]

Appointed Surgeon in the Naval Medical Service June 2nd 1898

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/26974/page/3447 heading on page 3446

 

Edit to add:- Promoted to Staff Surgeon May 25th 1906

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27916/page/3657

[rolt968]

20 minutes ago, HarryBrook said:

Appointed Surgeon in the Naval Medical Service June 2nd 1898

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/26974/page/3447 heading on page 3446

It was a bit mean of the Gazette or the Navy not to give his post-nominal.

[seaJane]

Harry, Roger,

 

Brilliant, thank you!

 

I think I have enough to be going on with, now.

 

Very much obliged to you all.

 

sJ 

[seaJane]

For those interested, there is a picture of him here where I am raising a uniform query.

wh