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421743 F/O Jack MARTIN.
PARENTS : Mr. & Mrs. L.F. Martin of Takapuna.
WIFE : Mrs. G.M. Martin of Karori.
(Married on January 8th, 1944 and one son)

Jack Martin was born at Hokitika on June 30th, 1919. He attended Nelson College for four years, where he was fond of rugby and tennis and made a hobby of photography. Prior to his enlistment, he was employed as a clerk by Winstone Ltd. at Wellington and also served as a corporal in the 1st Wellington Territorial Regiment.

Applying for aircrew in 1940, his turn for flying training did not come until May 1942, when he was posted to Taieri. (redacted Both there and at the service flying training school at Wigram, he did extremely well and was remarked as "a solid, steady, intelligent pupil, above average in most subjects.") He gained his Flying Badge on October 19th, 1942, was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in December and posted to Tauranga Central Flying School for a Flying Instructors' Course.

Pilot Officer Martin was employed as a Pilot Instructor at Taieri from March until August, 1943 when he was posted to Woodbourne for drogue towing duties in Vincent aircraft and in November he was promoted to Flying Officer.

In May 1944, Flying Officer Martin was posted to the school of Navigation at New Plymouth for operational training in Anson aircraft, after which he proceeded to Ohakea. There, in bomber operational training unit, he became a qualified pilot of a Ventura aircraft.

On October 3rd, 1944, F/O Martin was pilot of a Ventura which, during a training cross country flight from Ohakea, crashed on the mountain side at Mt. Egmont in dense fog and rain. The others in the same crew were Sgt. H.E. Doy (Navigator), Sgt. A.T. Hill (W.O.A.G.), Sgt. J.W.D. McKay and Sgt. F.W.S. Webb (Air Gunners).

5/2/11252 A.S.2.
931 hours.

Mrs. G.M. Martin (right aligned)
18 Parkvale Road, (right aligned)
Karori, WELLINGTON. (W) (right aligned)