Warren Frederick Martin Clemens CBE MC AM (1915 - 2009)

Born 17 Apr 1915 in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Adelaide Anne (Turnbull) Martin — married 28 Mar 1948 in Westminster, London, England, United Kingdom

Died 31 May 2009 at age 94 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Kenneth Evans [send private message]

Biography

Martin Clemens CBE MC AM is Notable.

Martin Clemens CBE MC AM was born in Scotland.

Major Martin Clemens CBE MC AM was a British colonial administrator and soldier. In late 1941 and early 1942, while serving as a District Officer in the Solomon Islands, he helped prepare the area for eventual resistance to Japanese occupation. His additional duties as Coastwatcher alerted the Allies to Japanese plans to build an airstrip on Guadalcanal. This resulted in Allied carrier raids and eventually a landing by US forces and the beginning of the epic struggle in the Solomons. He then directly served with the US Marines in co-ordinating intelligence on Japanese activities.

Formative years

Warren Frederick Martin Clemens was born on 17th April 1915 in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Martin, as he was known to all, was the older son of Warren Clemens, a musician, and Blanche Martin. His father passed away when Martin was just seven years of age. Martin won scholarships to Bedford School and Christ's College, Cambridge, where he studied agriculture and natural sciences from 1933 to 1937.

In 1938, Martin joined the Colonial Service and was sent out to the British Solomon Islands Protectorate (BSIP). He served for three years as a cadet in Malaita, and became a District Officer in 1941.

Second World War

With the coming of the Pacific War in late 1941, he volunteered for military service in the British Solomon Islands Protectorate Defence Force and was commissioned a Captain. After a short leave in Australia in late 1941, Martin returned to the Solomons on a ship sent to evacuate European and Chinese residents from Guadalcanal.

While responsible for nearly fifteen thousand citizens and various other people on Guadalcanal, District Officer Clemens additionally served as a Coastwatcher. He had as his assistant, radio opertor Don MacFarland. The Japanese planned to cut off the United States' communications with New Zealand and Australia by building an airstrip on Guadalcanal. When they began landing infantry, support troops and engineers to begin the airstrip, Martin reported such to the Allies by radio. He then established his radio station and coastwatching activities at Aola, on the island's northen coast. After the Japanese occupied the island of Tulagi, about 32 kilometres (20 miles) distant in early May 1942, they initiated searches for Martin and other known colonial officers. In June, the Japanese commenced the construction of an airfield on Guadalcanal, further isolating Martin and forcing him to conduct his activities from enclaves in the mountains. On his jungle-shielded mountain, Martin played a dangerous game of hide and seek with the Japanese. He and his tiny Coastwatcher contingent were running low on everything they needed: food, supplies, and most critically, radio batteries.

Guadalcanal became the site of the first major US land offensive against the Japanese in the South Pacific. Upon the American landing on Guadalcanal, Martin and his BSIP police made contact with the surprised US Marines when they marched to the American positions carrying the Union Flag. Martin and his scouts began providing the Marines much assistance with continuous raids on Japanese supplies and radio reports of the enemy's position. His war service earned him the Military Cross (MC) on 15th December 1942, and in 1944 the US Legion of Merit. The First Marine Division also awarded him the commemorative Faciat Georgius Medal, which he helped design.

Military Cross ----------	Commander of the British Empire (CBE)	Legion of Merit -------------

Post-war

Following the war, Martin served in Palestine in 1946–1947 and Cyprus in 1948–1949, returning to Cyprus in 1951–1957 as District Commissioner, and was Defence Secretary during 1959–1960.

This later colonial career led to his appointment as Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1956 Queen's Birthday Honours,and promotion to Commander in the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1960 New Year Honours.

Australia

Martin Clemens CBE MC AM migrated from Scotland to New South Wales.

Offered a further colonial position variously reported as having been in Burma or Sarawak, he instead moved to Australia, which was home to his wife Anne Turnbull, who he married on 28th March 1948 in Westminster, England. ^[1] Anne was the sister of Martin's friends John and Bill Turnbull. ^[2] Martin and Anne have four children:

1. Char (1949-)
2. Anne (1952-); married surname Jeffries
3. Alexandra (1955-); married surname Azzaro
4. Mark (1959-)

Martin became an Australian citizen in 1961 and became involved in numerous public service and charity efforts, in particularly with Austcare, the International Council of Social Services, the Red Cross and the Australia-Britain Society. He was appointed Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Queen's Birthday Honours 1993 in recognition 'of service to the community'. ^[3] Several obituaries incorrectly report this honour as the lesser Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). Martin's interest in the Solomons were maintained to the end; in 2006 he wrote to the islanders encouraging them in the midst of political unrest.

Death and legacy

Aged 94 years and having been widowered for just four months, Martin passed away on 31st May 2009 in Melbourne, Victoria. ^[4][5][2]

He published his memoirs in 1998, Alone on Guadalcanal. Although written in the 1950s, he had been unable to locate a publisher until the Naval Institute Press in Maryland, United States, showed interest.

His 'exploits' are now known to a new generation through the 2003 video game Medal of Honor: Rising Sun, in which he helps the main character locate and rescue American POWs.

Sources

1. ↑ UK FreeBMD Marriage Index Mar qtr 1848, vol 5c, page 713
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} The Age, 9 Jun 2009. 'Lone hero on Guadalcanal and pillar of the community'; accessed 30 Apr 2022
3. ↑ Australian Honours: Member of the Order of Australia; accessed 30 Apr 2022
4. ↑ Sydney Morning Herald, 15 Jun 2009; accessed 30 Apr 2022
5. ↑ Military Obituaries The Telegraph, 24 Jun 2009; accessed 30 Ape 2022

See also

• Lindsay, Patrick. The Coast Watchers: The Men Behind Enemy Lines Who Saved the Pacific. Random House, North Sydney, 2011. ISBN 978 1 74275 312 6.
• Veitch, Michael. Australia's Secret Army: The Story of the Coastwatchers, the Unsung Heroes of Australia's Armed Forces During World War II. Hachette Australia, Sydney, 2022. ISBN 978-0-7336-4847-2.
• Wikipedia: Martin Clemens.
• Martin Clemens's Biography; Martin Clemens's Book on His Part in the War
• PM Sikua Pays Tribute to British WW 2 Coast Watcher http://www.solomontimes.com/news.aspx?nwID=4071
• Kittybrewster The Genealogy of the Blaikie Family.

Footnotes

^ Jump up to: a b c d "Major Spied on Japanese", Sydney Morning Herald 15 July 2009. ^ Jump up to: a b c Clemens, Martin (2004 (reissue)). Alone on Guadalcanal: A Coastwatcher's Story. Bluejacket Books. ISBN 1-59114-124-9. Jump up ^ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 35821. p. 5437. 11 December 1942. Retrieved 28 July 2010. Jump up ^ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 36478. p. 1821. 18 April 1944. Retrieved 28 July 2010. ^ Jump up to: a b "Major Martin Clemens", The Daily Telegraph, 24 June 2009. Jump up ^ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 40787. pp. 3123–3124. 25 May 1956. Retrieved 28 July 2010. Jump up ^ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 41909. p. 24. 29 December 1959. Retrieved 28 July 2010. Jump up ^ Clemens, Warren Frederick Martin, Member of the Order of Australia, It's an Honour database, Commonwealth of Australia, 13 June 1993