Charles, shot down over France in 1918
Charles Martin's home page

World War One Diary Entry.
By Leonard G. (Ted) Martin of Port Melbourne (later Hamilton) regarding
the death of his brother, Charles, shot down over France in 1918.

NEWS I'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET REGARDING CHARLIE'S DEATH.

In letters received from the mater at Poona on 4th June '18, I received the very crook news that Charlie was reported missing on 17th February, '18. The next news I received on the 12th July when a letter from mother dated 26th April arrived here. In the mother's letter she says that she received a letter from the Major of Charlie's squadron in which he said that he was sorry to have to tell her that Chas was missing and stating that Chas went out on patrol and in an engagement with the enemy machines in which two of the enemy were brought down, on their return Charlie and his machine was missing. The flight commander of the patrol states that he saw Charlie's machine shot in the air by the enemy and that it came down in enemy lines. He further stated that Chas was a good reliable officer liked by all and was missed by all, also that he was a good pilot.

In another letter sent by the mother dated the 13th May, 1918, she sends a copy of a letter sent by a Lieut in the German army via the Geneva Red Cross. The letter reads,
"On the 17th February at 3 o'clock in the afternoon has been a battle between airships and it happened to the capture of the one your son was killed, with what we saw of the papers they had with him. The body will be buried here and respectfully cared for the same as if it would be a soldier of ours. We take great part in the loss of your dear son respectfully as we are your enemies."

Waldermir Rorstens
18/2/18 Lieut RXXXXXXXX
in XXXXXXX Regt.


Private Address - Berlin Charlottenberg.
                        XXXXXXXXX

N.B. X are words written in German.

In a letter written by Ernie dated 16 - 5 -18 he says;
    "Last Anzac Day we held a sports meeting at our aerodrome and there was a pilot there by the name of Lieut Thomson who was wounded in the same battle in which Charlie was reported missing, so I got one of my own officers to give me an introduction to him which he willingly did and told me that he saw Charlie's machine when about 10,000 feet up doing a nose dive and he does not know whether he came out of his nose dive too suddenly or whether he got a direct hit from an "Archie", but he saw him lose both his wings and fall over the from a height of about 10,000 feet."
    In the death of Charlie 1 have lost a good brother and a fair dinkum cobber, a chap who always stood for what was honorable and right. I don't think t will ever get over the loss of him, and will always revere the memory of a chap who died as he lived, God fearing, dutiful, brave, honest and upright.


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