Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Overseer

Unit:

Post Office Bristol

Awarded on:

February 14th, 1941

Citation:
"Fire was started by an incendiary bomb in a Post Office building. The first to reach the scene was Mr. Martin who, as Warden, was touring the building to ensure that alll floors were evacuated. On finding the fire, he reported it by telephone and at once proceeded to attack the outbreak with an extinguisher. No water was available from the fire hydrant system owing to lack of pressure. A fire bucket team was organised and Mr. Martin took the lead in holding the fire at bay from 7.45 p.m. until 10 p.m., when assistance was obtained from the Fire Brigade. Burning material from the roof was falling upon the men, yet Mr. Martin and his team stuck to their posts, and he showed considerable ingenuity in devising means of fighting the fire. There is no doubt that he was primarily responsible for preventing the fire from spreading much more widely and possibly destroying the Office."

Published in The London Gazette dated 14th February 1941.