The truly exceptional and very rare Second World War Burma 14th Army 17th Indian Division Company Commander’s Tiddim Defence of Point 6052 26th to 29th January 1944 ‘immediate’ Military Cross and Battle of Imphal attack on Point 2926 ‘Red Hill Pimple’ ‘immediate’ Second Award Bar and casualty group awarded to Acting Major C.F.V. Martin, M.C., Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry attached 7th Battalion, 10th Baluch Regiment, Indian Army. Martin was elected a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Vintners on 18th June 1941. Having been commissioned into the Ox and Bucks in January 1940, he however then found himself on service with the Indian Army when attached to the 7th Battalion, 10th Baluch Regiment. By early 1944 he was a Company Commander, and in that year was most unusually twice decorate with ‘immediate’ awards of the Military Cross! His first award came about during the defence of Point 6052 in the Tiddim area on 26th January 1944 when he had command of a composite company. On 26th January 1944, the enemy put in a persistent attack from 1745 hours to 1830 hours, which was repulsed with heavy losses. At 2300 hours the enemy again attacked with even more determination but was again driven back. During both these attacks, Martin ran from post to post in the open, directing the fire and encouraging the men, regardless of his personal safety. Throughout the 27th and the 28th, the enemy sent frequent harassing parties to wear down the defences and to prevent the men from sleeping. On the 29th January, his position was again very heavily attacked, this time by two enemy companies, from 0530 hours to 1030 hours. Although the position was thinly held, the casualties equivalent to one platoon, and the men tired through three sleepless nights, the enemy was driven back time and again with very heavy losses estimated at 200 killed and wounded. Although completely without sleep during these four days, Martin went from trench to trench, encouraging the men and urging them to hold on, despite close range grenade, small arms and very heavy mortar fire. When the enemy broke through the wire and threatened to swamp the defences, he personally organised and led a counterattack which, by determined hand to hand fighting wiped out all the enemy who had broken in. His first award was gazetted on 18th May 1944. After his battalion’s retreat to the Imphal Plain, it was for his exceptional gallantry on the 26th May 1944 that he won a very rare ‘immediate’ award of a second Military Cross, this time whilst in command of A Company during the three company attack on Point 2926, nicknamed ‘Red Hill Pimple’, in which action he was twice wounded. That morning, Martin was leading his company during the initial stages of the attack when he was wounded whilst advancing under heavy Medium Machine‑Gun fire. He ignored his wounds and carried on, and then personally led a grenade‑throwing party to wipe out a Japanese Bunker, which was holding up the advance of his Company. With complete disregard for his own safety and despite his wounds, Martin approached the bunker, the occupants of which had been catching the grenades and throwing them back. By waiting 3 seconds after the cap of the grenade had been struck before he threw it. Martin succeeded in wiping out the bunker and thereby clearing the way for the advance. In doing this, Martin was again wounded, but continued to lead his Company forward until he collapsed from loss of blood. Martin’s magnificent example of gallantry and selfless devotion to duty under heavy fire was not only a supreme inspiration to every man in the Company, but a vital contributory factor in the success of the attack. His second award was gazetted on 5th October 1944, with General Bill Slim, G.O.C. 14th Army personally writing to congratulate him. Martin later recorded an interview in January 2000 detailing his actions.
Group of 5: Military Cross, GVI GRI 1st type cypher, reverse dated 1944, with Second Award Bar dated 1944; 1939-1945 Star; Burma Star; Defence Medal; War Medal. Mounted swing style as worn on original ribbons. Together with the Royal Mint fitted presentation case for the first.
Condition: Good Very Fine.
Together with the following:
Buckingham Palace forwarding slip for the award of the Military Cross and Second Award Bar, this with typed details: ‘Captain C.F.V. Martin, M.C., The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.’
War Office letter notifying Martin’s father of the award of the Military Cross to his son, issued in response to his letter of 26th May 1944, and enclosing a copy of the statement which was submitted by the Commander-in-Chief of the 11th Army Group in support of his recommendation for the award. Dated 5th June 1944, and addressed to Captain V.C. Martin, Canhurst Farm, Knowl Hill, Berkshire.
Military Cross original typed citation.
War Office letter notifying Martin’s father of the award of the Bar to the Military Cross to his son, issued in response to his letter of 9th October 1944, and enclosing a copy of the statement which was submitted by the Commander-in-Chief of the 11th Army Group in support of his recommendation for the award. Dated 18th October 1944, and addressed to Captain V.C. Martin, Canhurst Farm, Knowl Hill, Berkshire.
Second Award Bar to the Military Cross original typed citation.
City of London Worshipful Company of Vintners Liveryman’s Silver Medal, silver, medallists initials ‘W.J.D.’ for William James Dingley, and hallmarks for Birmingham with date letter ‘P’ for 1939, reverse engraved: ‘Clifford F.V. Martin. 18th: June 1941’, this housed in its fitted presentation case by Birch and Gaydon Ltd, Watchmakers to the Admiralty, Diamond Merchants and Jewellers, 153 Fenchurch St., London’.
Letter to Captain Martin from General William Joseph Slim, later Field Marshal K.G., G.C.B., G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O., G.B.E., D.S.O., M.C., K.St.J, this sent from the Headquarters of the Fourteenth Army, undated, issued on Headquarters Eastern Army headed paper, and reading ‘I am very pleased to hear that your gallant action has been rewarded, and sent you my warmest congratulations on a well deserved honour.’ Signed in ink, ‘W.J. Slim’ as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Fourteenth Army.
The recipient’s group of matching miniature medals, mounted swing style as worn on old faded ribbons.
Clifford Frederick Victor Martin was born on 17th July 1919 in Oxfordshire, the son of Captain Victor Callingham Martin, and his wife, Rose Margaret, nee Callingham. Martin was granted a Regular Army Emergency Commission and gazetted as a 2nd Lieutenant (No.113619) into the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry on 16th January 1940.
Martin then saw service out in India and Burma when on attachment to the Indian Army and serving with the 7th Battalion, 10th Baluch Regiment. Martin probably received his attachment to the 7th Battalion in the aftermath of the retreat from Burma in 1942, during which the battalion had formed part of the 46th Indian Brigade in the 17th Indian Division. After Burma, the 17th Division then found itself stationed in Assam. It did not take part in the failed First Arakan Offensive of late 1942 into the spring of 1943, but undertook intensive training in this period to learn from the mistakes of the previous year in readiness to take the offensive against the Japanese during 1944 and 1945.
The first major test for the 7th Battalion occurred during January 1944, and it was Martin who then had command of a composite company from A and C companies who bore the brunt of it. It was for this period when a war substantive Lieutenant and temporary Captain that he was awarded the Military Cross for his gallantry during the defence of Point 6052. Martin’s composite company was established on Point 6052, seven miles south of Tiddim, to form a patrol base. A number of patrols were sent out to engage and identify the Japanese in the area. The perimeter of the base was attacked at one point, but the company was able to hold. This was on the 26th January 1944, when Martin earned his first Military Cross. It was estimated that the 7/10th Baluch killed more than 200 Japanese in the area, while themselves suffering only 3 killed and 10 wounded over the course of the month. The positions were dug in all round defences on ground of the 7/10th Baluch choosing. This enabled them to repel the Japanese attacks, unlike at Pa-an in 1942, and showed that the retraining of the past 18 months had paid dividends.
The recommendation for Martin’s award reads as follows: ‘On the 26th of January 1944, the enemy put in a persistent attack from 1745 hours to 1830 hours, which was repulsed with heavy losses. At 2300 hours the enemy again attacked with even more determination but was again driven back. During both these attacks, Captain Martin ran from post to post in the open, directing the fire and encouraging the men, regardless of his personal safety. Throughout the 27th and the 28th, the enemy sent frequent harassing parties to wear down our defences and to prevent our men from sleeping. On the 29th of January, our position was again very heavily attacked, this time by two enemy companies, from 0530 hours to 1030 hours. Although the position was thinly held, our casualties equivalent to one platoon, and the men tired through three sleepless nights, the enemy was driven back time and again with very heavy losses estimated at 200 killed and wounded. Although completely without sleep during these four days, Captain Martin went from trench to trench, encouraging the men and urging them to hold on, despite close range grenade, small arms and very heavy mortar fire. When the enemy broke through the wire and threatened to swamp the defences, he personally organised and led a counterattack which, by determined hand to hand fighting wiped out all the enemy who had broken in. Captain Martin’s splendid example of personal gallantry and leadership in the face of heavy odds, his spirit of endurance and determination to hold out, inspired all ranks to resist at all costs, over a period of four days, a persistent enemy attempt to capture a position of extreme tactical significance.’
Martin’s ‘immediate’ award of his first Military Cross would be announced in the London Gazette for 18th May 1944. In the aftermath of his honour, Martin received a personal letter from General Slim, commander of the 14th Army, stating: ‘I am very pleased to hear that your gallant action has been rewarded, and sent you my warmest congratulations on a well deserved honour.’
The battalion continued to sent out patrols in the areas in front of and around Point 6052 for the month of February and part of March. All of the men and officers gained valuable experience in operating as light infantry during this period. On 4th April, the battalion, along with the 4/12th Frontier Force Rifles, withdrew along the Tiddim Road in the face of increasing pressure during the Japanese advances and the repositioning in readiness for the Battle of Imphal. Having retreated onto the Imphal Plain, it was sent to protect the Panel airstrip. It took over positions in the ‘Catfish Box’ area on 5th April, also at this point receiving reinforcements to create a fourth company and bring it up to strength as an ordinary infantry unit. The battalion was able to accommodate the organisational changes with minor difficulties.
The A Company, under the command of now acting Major Martin, was sent to Point 5846 on the Bishenpur-Silchar Road, while the rest of the battalion also took the opportunity to re-organise and to incorporate the new new company. In mid-May, the 7/10th Baluch moved to the 17th Divisional Box at Chingphu, north of Bishenpur, in response to increased Japanese pressure on the entrance to the Imphal Plain from the Bishenpur region. The battalion began to dig in immediately upon arrival, in its capacity as protection of the divisional HQ. A series of patrols was sent out around the area as reports arrived of Japanese forces coming from the west, and a major clash ensued on 20th May involving one platoon on a ridge overlooking the divisional area. This force managed to hold out of more than 8 hours and successfully held up a major Japanese group. On 25th May, the battalion was ordered to carry out an attack on Point 2926, ‘Red Hill Pimple’. That evening, 3 companies - A, B and C respectively, moved to their jumping off positions, which included the ridge itself, without being heard or noticed by the Japanese. The A and C companies were to attack the Japanese bunker positions from the ridge, while B Company was tasked with seizing the village on the west side of the ridge. At 0430 hours on 26th May, the attack went in. The fist Japanese positions were destroyed, but a second layer of bunkers held up both attacks. The attackers dug in for fear of a Japanese counter-attack, and after a day of holding areas of the ridge and village, withdrew to the divisional HQ box, after the Japanese pulled back from the hill. The battalion had been able to not only approach the Japanese, but also to mount and attack without being detected in any way. Any Japanese soldier on the ridge who was familiar with Pa-an would probably have been surprised that this was the same unit.
Martin was then awarded the Second Award Bar to his Military Cross for his gallantry during the Battle of Imphal in the attack on Red Hill Pimple on 26th May 1944. In this period from 25th to 27th May, his battalion suffered three officers and 26 other ranks killed, and close to 100 were wounded, one of whom was Martin, who was twice wounded in the fighting on 26th May.
The recommendation reads as follows: ‘On the morning of the 26th of May 1944, Captain Martin was leading a Company taking part in the attack on Red Hill Pimple. In the initial stages of this attack Captain Martin was wounded, leading his Company under heavy Medium Machine‑Gun fire, on to the objective, but, ignoring his wounds, Captain Martin personally led a grenade‑throwing party to wipe out a Japanese Bunker, which was holding up the advance of his Company. With complete disregard for his own safety and despite his wounds, Captain Martin approached the bunker, the occupants of which had been catching our grenades and throwing them back. By waiting 3 seconds after the cap of the grenade had been struck before he threw it, Captain Martin succeeded in wiping out the bunker and thereby clearing the way for the advance. In doing this, Captain Martin was again wounded, but continued to lead his Company forward until he collapsed from loss of blood. Captain Martin’s magnificent example of gallantry and selfless devotion to duty under heavy fire was not only a supreme inspiration to every man in the Company, but a vital contributory factor in the success of the attack.’
Martin’s ‘immediate’ award of the Second Award Bar to his Military Cross was announced in the London Gazette for 5th October 1944. Around this time, his father was residing at Canhurst Farm, Knowl Hill, Berkshire, as evidence by surviving documentation concerning his son’s awards.
For the next few weeks after 26th May 1944, the battalion carried out patrols in and around the divisional box area. Throughout June and early July, the battalion shifted back and forth between the control of the 63rd and 48th Brigades, continuing regardless of which formation controlled it to send out long term patrols and set up box formations throughout the region. On a few occasions, such as a Evans’ Knob, during the first week of July, troops were involved in heavy fighting. For his part Martin would have been evacuated for treatment owing to his wounds. He is interestingly recorded twice in Casualty Lists for his wounds, with on dated for 22nd June and the other for 26th June 1944, and one wonders if he may also have been very slightly wounded back on the 22nd June. He subsequently gave an interview about this action, which was recorded on 12th January 2000.
Martin who married Ridley Alice Mary Fry, latterly live in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, and died in Wokingham, Berkshire, on 5th December 2003.