Corporal John Humphrey Martin
Corporal John Humphrey Martin was Killed in Action on 21st
December 1941. He was aged 22 and he is
now buried at St. Teilo Churchyard, Bishopston.
The cause of his death is remains a mystery.
Martin, who served with the Royal Air Force was with 201
Squadron.
201 Squadron was one of the oldest squadrons of the RAF, it
was formed and numbered No.1 Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service, on 17th
October 1914. It was renumbered on 6th December 1916. 1st April 1918, on the formation
of the Royal Air Force, all Royal Naval Air Service squadron were getting new
numbers by adding 200 to their original number.
After the First World War ended, the squadron was disbanded
on 31st December 1919.
1st January 1929, the squadron was reformed, and
expanding no.480 Flight, a Supermarine Southampton flying boat unit. The Southampton made way for the Saro London
by April 1936, and it was these planes that the squadron were flying on the
outbreak of the Second World War. By April
1940 and for the remainder of the war, the squadron flew Short Sunderland.
December 1941, Flight W3998, a Sunderland II, took off from
its base at Plymouth Sound, Devon, crashing during its take off and plummeting into
the sea.
For the next 70 years, the remains of the Sunderland
remained undiscovered. 2013, a professional driver Danny Daniels, found the
wreckage during a routine dive off RAF Mountbatten airbase.
The Sunderland flying boats enabled them to land and take
off from surface of the water. They were
constantly under the threat from long-attack from the enemy’s long-range Condor
reconnaissance planes.
It was not just the Luftwaffe that could be potentially fatal
danger. Also, the sea was also the
enemy.
It is believed that the plane crashed after it was
overloaded with extra equipment and the additional 15 men. 8 more men than the normal number for the
crew.
The plane was due to fly on to Gibraltar, for a Christmas
break, prior to a posting to train new Sunderland flight crews.
During the take-off, the plane thundered along the flare-lit
runway, in pitch darkness, the powered Bristol Pegasus engines struggled to lift
the plane into the air.
The pilot, Flight Lieutenant Fletcher, who fearful the
semi-submerged breakwater, forced to abort his approach. Fletcher, who taxied for a second attempt.
During this second attempt, the pane, clear of the
anti-submarine boom and rising over the breakwater. The plane’s engines were unable to cope with
the extra load suddenly stalled and the plane dropped from the sky bursting
into flames on impact with the water.
Flight Lieutenant Fletcher was killed instantly, along with
additional 10 other of the crew. Only 4
men survived.
Flight Lieutenant Fletcher’s body washed ashore nearby
Whitsand Bay, on Christmas Eve, 1941. He
was buried at Ford Park Cemetery, Plymouth.
Fletcher was an Australian.
We can assume that John Humphrey Martin’s body also washed
ashore for his burial back home at Bishopston.
The crews killed were
Kenneth William Bennett, 18, Aircraftman 1st Class. Commemorated Runneymede Memorial
Robert Cunningham, 19, Aircraftman 1st
Class. Buried Knadgerhill Cemetery,
Irvine
James Wallace Douglas, 23, Leading Aircraftman. Commemorated Runneymede Memorial
David James Fletcher, 28, Flight Lieutenant. Buried Ford Park Cemetery, Plymouth
John Burnett Hides, 21, Leading Aircraftman. Commemorated Runneymede
Memorial
John Humphrey Martin, 22, Corporal. Buried St. Teilo Churchyard, Bishopston
Herbert Frederick Mitchell, 21, Flight Sergeant. Buried St.
Mary Magdalene Churchyard, Great Burstead
James Robinson, 21, Aircraftman 2nd Class. Buried Blackburn Cemetery
Herbert Leslie Southall, Sergeant. Commemorated Runneymede Memorial
John Hay Wallace, Leading Aircraft. Commemorated Runneymede Memorial
William Watson, 20, Aircraftman 2nd Class. Buried Dalston Road Cemetery, Carlisle.
 |
| St. Teilo Church, Bishopston |
John Humphrey Martin was the only son William and Hilda Martin,
of Murton, Bishopston.
December 2019, the inquest papers were opened first time and
they are at National Archives, Kew.
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