Lives of the First World War

In the uniform of the County of London Regiment.

A prewar photo of Theodore as an employee of the banking firm of Messrs Cocks, Biddulph and Co.

This cutting from an unknown newspaper from April 1915 names the prewar employer of Theodore

This envelope is addredded to Leo's sister Winifred Martin who was staying in Bournemouth with their married sister Gertrude Bowley, my grandmother.

On this first page Leo refers to being in France for nearly 2 weeks and in 'this village', 20 miles from the firing line, for a week. He is billeted in a barn with a straw bed.

This second page refers to cooking and washing. Also the number of aircraft and to a commission.from the Admiralty (!). Harry is Leo's brother in law, John Henry Bowley, my grandfather.

Page 1 of Leo's letter to his sister Ada Martin. Dated 15th April 1915 Leo's company have withdrawn half a mile from the firing line to their billet for a wash and a rest. The company is attached to a famous Highland regiment.

On page 2 of his letter to Ada Martin Leo tells how his company went into the trenches on Good Friday and came out on Easter Sunday. Easter eggs came in the form of shrapnel and shells were bursting around while they dug a trench.

On Leo's third page he invites his sister, Ada Martin to send food but no more cigarettes. Bessie had sent chocolate and a parcel had arrived from his sisters Winifred Martin and Gertrude Bowley. Mr George Biddulph, after 50 years at the bank where Leo was employed had given everyone an extra month's salary.

Leo's fourth page is just his signing off. " Your affectionate brother, Leo" Rifleman Theodore Leonard Martin was killed in action the following day.

A bronze memorial tablet was produced for the Bank of Liverpool and Martins Limited, designed to be cast several times, and was installed in 1922-23 at Head Office in Liverpool, the 68 Lombard Street office in London, and at other regional District Offices. Headed, “Gratefully dedicated by the proprietors of the Bank of Liverpool and Martins Limited to the memory of members of the staff who fell in the Great War”, with “They whom this tablet commemorates were numbered among those who, at the call of King and Country, left all that was dear to them, endured hardness, faced danger, and finally passed out of the sight of men by the path of duty and self sacrifice, giving up their own lives that others might live in freedom. Let those that come after see to it that their names be not forgotten.”. The memorial at Water Street in Liverpool is still in situ, although the building is no longer a bank, and there is also one on display at Barclays Head Office at 1 Churchill Place.

A printed roll of honour entitled “Service Roll of Martins Bank”, listing “Those who did not return” and “Ex-Service Men 1914-1919”, was compiled in 1931 for the centenary of the Bank of Liverpool, and comprises of a list of staff of all the constituent banks in the Martins group (Bank of Liverpool, Martins Bank, Bank of Liverpool and Martins Limited, Lancashire & Yorkshire Bank, Cocks Biddulph, Palatine Bank, Halifax Commercial Bank, Cattle Trade Bank, Equitable Bank). It used to be on permanent display at the former Martins head office at Water Street in Liverpool, but was transferred to Barclays Group Archives in 2007 when Barclays sold the building. The image shows the cover of the book.

A printed roll of honour entitled “Service Roll of Martins Bank”, listing “Those who did not return” and “Ex-Service Men 1914-1919”, was compiled in 1931 for the centenary of the Bank of Liverpool, and comprises of a list of staff of all the constituent banks in the Martins group (Bank of Liverpool, Martins Bank, Bank of Liverpool and Martins Limited, Lancashire & Yorkshire Bank, Cocks Biddulph, Palatine Bank, Halifax Commercial Bank, Cattle Trade Bank, Equitable Bank). It used to be on permanent display at the former Martins head office at Water Street in Liverpool, but was transferred to Barclays Group Archives in 2007 when Barclays sold the building. The image shows the title page of the book.

A printed roll of honour entitled “Service Roll of Martins Bank”, listing “Those who did not return” and “Ex-Service Men 1914-1919”, was compiled in 1931 for the centenary of the Bank of Liverpool, and comprises of a list of staff of all the constituent banks in the Martins group (Bank of Liverpool, Martins Bank, Bank of Liverpool and Martins Limited, Lancashire & Yorkshire Bank, Cocks Biddulph, Palatine Bank, Halifax Commercial Bank, Cattle Trade Bank, Equitable Bank). The information printed for each person consists of initials & surname, plus regiment. The image shows the page of the book which features this person’s name in the list of “Those who did not return”.