John Martin (Royal Navy officer)
Encyclopedia
Vice Admiral
Sir John Edward Ludgate Martin KCB
DSC
(10 May 1918 – 31 May 2011) was a former Royal Navy
officer who became Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey
.
in 1938. He served in World War II
taking part in the Dunkirk evacuation when his ship, Sun Tug 15, undertook four trips to Dunkirk to pick up evacuees. He also served as a navigation officer in the Mediterranean 1943 taking part in the invasion of Sicily
in 1943. He was appointed Deputy Director of Manpower Planning at the Admiralty
in 1959, Senior Naval Officer in the West Indies in 1961 and Commander of British Forces in the Caribbean
Area in 1962. He went on to be Captain at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
in 1963, Flag Officer, Middle East in 1966 and Commander of British Forces in the Gulf in 1967. His last appointments were as Director General of Naval Personal Services and Training in 1968 and Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic
in 1970; he retired in 1973.
In retirement he became Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey
. He died on 31 May 2011.
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
Sir John Edward Ludgate Martin KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
DSC
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
(10 May 1918 – 31 May 2011) was a former Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer who became Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey
Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey
The Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey is the representative of the British monarch in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a Crown dependency of the British Crown. The role of the Lieutenant Governor is to act as the de facto head of state in Guernsey and as liaison between the governments of Guernsey and the...
.
Naval career
Martin joined the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1938. He served in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
taking part in the Dunkirk evacuation when his ship, Sun Tug 15, undertook four trips to Dunkirk to pick up evacuees. He also served as a navigation officer in the Mediterranean 1943 taking part in the invasion of Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
in 1943. He was appointed Deputy Director of Manpower Planning at the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
in 1959, Senior Naval Officer in the West Indies in 1961 and Commander of British Forces in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
Area in 1962. He went on to be Captain at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...
in 1963, Flag Officer, Middle East in 1966 and Commander of British Forces in the Gulf in 1967. His last appointments were as Director General of Naval Personal Services and Training in 1968 and Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic
Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic
The Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic was one of two supreme commanders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation , the other being the Supreme Allied Commander Europe . The SACLANT led Allied Command Atlantic, based at Norfolk, Virginia...
in 1970; he retired in 1973.
In retirement he became Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey
Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey
The Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey is the representative of the British monarch in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a Crown dependency of the British Crown. The role of the Lieutenant Governor is to act as the de facto head of state in Guernsey and as liaison between the governments of Guernsey and the...
. He died on 31 May 2011.