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Martin was born in Broadstairs, Kent in 1922,the youngest of three brothers.

In July 1937 he was selected to undertake an Artificer apprenticeship in the Royal Navy which he completed in June 1941.

On 23rd July 1941 he was appointed ERA (Engine Room Artificer) 5th Class and on the 24th July he was posted to HMS PICOTEE, a 'Flower' class corvette of 900 tons, completed in September 1940 and subsequently employed on convoy duty in the North Atlantic.

The Artificer originally posted to PICOTEE fell ill with appendicitis whilst at sea and PICOTEE returned to Liverpool to discharge him to hospital. Martin was posted as his replacement.

On the 12th August 1941 PICOTEE was attacked by U568 and sunk with all hands (five officers and 61 ratings). Martin was 19 years old.

Below is the story of the loss of the PICOTEE and the destruction of the U-Boat that sank her.

PICOTEE

HMS PICOTEE was allocated to the 4th Escort Group and based on Greenock, she left port on the morning of 7th August 1941 to join part of convoy ONS.4 at sea, proceeding to Iceland.

PICOTEE took station on the starboard bow of the convoy with the anti-submarine trawler AYRSHIRE on the port side. At 2200 hrs on the 11th August PICOTEE relayed by light signal to the AYRSHIRE an intercepted wireless report of an unidentified submarine in the vicinity of the convoy. The AYRSHIRE had already received a similar report on a different wavelength but the position given differed by one degree of longitude and the PICOTEE's attention was drawn to the discrepancy. However, it was estimated that the submarine would be about 30 miles eastward of the convoy and the PICOTEE, informing the AYRSHIRE that she intended to sweep astern of the convoy, proceeded accordingly. This was the last signal received from HMS PICOTEE. The AYRSHIRE commenced a sweep ahead of the convoy, considering it desirable to remain with the convoy unless otherwise ordered by PICOTEE.

At about 0150 hrs on the 12th August in approximate position 62° North 18° West, PICOTEE was observed to steam up the portside of the convoy at full speed, cross ahead of the AYRSHIRE and disappear into the darkness down the starboard side. About five minutes later a pattern of six depth charges was heard exploding. By this time PICOTEE was out of the sight of the AYRSHIRE. Visibility was about one mile. Nothing unusual was observed and the PICOTEE was not seen again. Assuming that she had been called away to rejoin the 4th Escort Group the AYRSHIRE continued on with the convoy to Iceland.

When PICOTEE failed to return to base enquiries were begun as to her whereabouts. She failed to answer signals requesting her position and it was found that she had not been seen by aircraft flying from Iceland. After an air search of the area failed to find her or any trace of survivors she was presumed lost with all hands.

A subsequent enquiry found that two officers from one of the merchant ships in the convoy had seen a large cloud of smoke and heard the sound of steam escaping from the direction of the PICOTEE. When the smoke cleared, they saw the bows of a corvette rising out of the water at about 45°. They had seen no flash, heard no loud explosion, only dull thuds. They were convinced that the corvette had not been torpedoed and that the explosion had occurred on board the ship itself. Opinion on the cause of the disaster was divided and the problem remained unsolved for some years.

Not until long after the end of the war when captured U-Boat logs were examined was it established that PICOTEE had been torpedoed by the German submarine U568. Entries in her log showed that her captain had sighted a corvette which he could not identify near convoy ONS.4 soon after the PICOTEE had last been seen by the AYSHIRE. He fired torpedoes, one of which hit PICOTEE amidships just below the bridge. She broke in two and sank almost immediately with some of her depth charges exploding as she sank.

U568

U568 was a type VIIC boat with a displacement of 769 tonnes with four bow and one stern torpedo tube. She was commissioned 1st May 1941. Her one and only commanding officer was Kapitanleutnant Preuss (Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class).

U568 made a total of five war cruises, two being in the North Atlantic and three in the Mediterranean.

At about 1030 hrs on the 27th May 1942, U568 was off Tobruk moving slowly eastwards on the surface when she was sighted by an allied aircraft at 1115 hrs and attacked. The aircraft dropped three bombs which fell close to the submarine. She immediately dived but as a result of damage caused by the aircraft's bombs she trailed an oily wake. HMS ERIDGE was advised of the attack and the commanding officer detached two destroyers, HMS HURWORTH and HERO, from convoy escort to locate and attack the submarine.

Contact was obtained by the destroyers at 1321 hrs on the 27th and held until 1750 hrs on the 27th. Frequent attacks were made by both ships and by 1500 hrs on the 27th HURWORTH had used up all her depth charges and contact with the submarine was lost. At 1750 hrs on the 27th the two ships were joined by ERIDGE who proceeded to organise a search. Contact was regained at 1901 hrs on the 27th and ERIDGE and HERO then carried out a series of attacks after which HERO had expended all her depth charges and ERIDGE had only five left. The ships were then spread on either beam of ERIDGE and followed the U-Boat at a range of about 1000 yards. At 2253 hrs on the 27th the U-Boat surfaced. ERIDGE immediately engaged her and the submarine again dived, turning 180° to a southerly course.

The U-Boat surfaced again at 0330 hrs on the 28th. ERIDGE dropped three charges close under the U-Boat's stern. ERIDGE together with HURWORTH then opened fire but ceased when it was seen that the crew were abandoning ship. An attempt was made to board the U-Boat but at 0400 hrs on the 28th she sank. The three destroyers rescued the crew of 47 officers and men.

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