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Dusseldorf in Germany, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Paris in France and two minelaying sorties to the Frisian Islands. This completed his first tour of operations. After converting to Stirling bomber aircraft at Stradishall, Suffolk, during October he was posted to No. 7 Squadron at Oakington, Cambridge. With this squadron as navigator of Stirling aircraft he took part in a further fourteen operational flights to targets at Genoa (2), Turin (5), Milan in Italy, Hamburg, Stettin, Frankfurt, Mannheim, and Cologne in Germany, and Lorient in France.

Flight Lieutenant Martin was the navigator of a Stirling bomber aircraft engaged on the night of the 2/3rd February 1943 in a raid on Cologne. The aircraft failed to return to its base and all the crew including Flight Lieutenant Martin were classified as missing. Later, information was received from a German official source through the International Red Cross that he had lost his life and in consequence he was reclassified to missing believed killed in action. In due course his death was officially presumed to have occurred on the 2nd February 1943. Subsequent information disclosed that he was buried in the GrossWijk Cemetery, Rotterdam, Holland.

On the 8th February 1943 the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Flight Lieutenant Martin was announced, the citation reading as follows:-

(indented) "This officer has displayed great skill and efficiency as a navigator in heavy bomber aircraft. The standard of his work has been consistenly high and his ability and courage have been largely responsible for the many successes secured by his crew against heavily defended and distant targets. He has invariably displayed keenness and determination of a very high order."

Find a Grave Link: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14042701/barry-martin

5/2/3688 A.S.2.
737 hours as navigator.

Mrs. G.E. Heaps (M) (right aligned)
189, Papanui Road, (right aligned)
Merivale, (right aligned)
CHRISTCHURCH. (right aligned & underlined)