Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

India General Service 1895-1902, 2 clasps, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Samana 1897 (5383 Pte. J. Martin, 2d Bn. Ryl.) most unusually, remainder of unit never completed, slack suspension claw and edge bruising, otherwise very fine £100-120

By a process of elimination, it is clear that the above award was that of 5383 Private John Martin of the Royal Irish Regiment. Born in Cork, he enlisted in March 1895, aged 20 years, and had the unhappy experience of being imprisoned on two or three occasions for absence without leave over the coming months. In early 1896, however, he was embarked with the 2nd Battalion of the regiment for India, where he served until December 1902, and participated in the Punjab Frontier operations, including those in Samana in 1897 - accompanying roll verification refers. Martin was finally discharged in March 1905, when he had the misfortune to be assessed as an ‘incorrigible and worthless’ character.