8/1074 Lieutenant Horace Robert Martineau VC, 31/10/1874-8/4/1916.

Horace Martineau was a Londoner, and enlisted with the 11 Hussars in 1891 at the age of 17. He served in Southern Africa and India, buying his discharge in 1895 and returning to Natal. He served under Baden-Powell in the "Second Matabele War," in what is now known as Zimbabwe. It was a fairly typical imperial affair, with badly armed "natives" pitted against "settlers" with rifles, machine guns and artillery.  It perhaps exemplified Hilaire Belloc's "Whatever happens, we have got/ the Maxim gun, and they have not."  After the end of the  war he joined the Cape Police.

In 1899 the Second Boer War began and Martineau joined the Cape Colony Protectorate Regiment with the rank of Sergeant.  He won his Victoria Cross at the end of that year.

"On the 26th December, 1899, during the fight at Game Tree, near Mafeking, when the order to retire had been given, Sergeant Martineau stopped and picked up Corporal Le Camp, who had been struck down about 10 yards from the Boer trenches, and half dragged, half carried, him towards a bush about 150 yards from the trenches. In doing this Sergeant Martineau was wounded in the side, but paid no attention to it, and proceeded to stanch and bandage the wounds of his comrade, whom he, afterwards, assisted to retire. The firing while they were retiring was very heavy and Sergeant Martineau was again wounded. When shot the second time he was absolutely exhausted from supporting his comrade, and sank down unable to proceed further. He received three wounds, one of which necessitated the amputation of his arm near the shoulder."  -London Gazette.

Martineau remained in South Africa, working for the African Boating Company which specialised in military logistics.  He became a Captain in the Durban Militia Reserve and was visiting New Zealand when World War 1 began. He immediately joined the 14th (South Otago) Regiment as Transport Officer with the rank of Lieutenant. He served with them in Egypt and Gallipoli, where he fell ill with a bad case of gastroenteritis.

At Alexandria, Egypt, having recovered from his illness, Martineau disgraced himself with a verbal altercation at a cafe called the Pallotta Court.  He got into an argument with a Captain Hunt of the Medical Corps.  According to Brian Izzard's "Glory and Dishonour: Victoria Cross Heroes Whose Lives Ended in Tragedy or Disgrace," Hunt had been one of a party of three which included an Egyptian civilian. Martineau came and sat behind them. He described the confrontation at a subsequent hearing:

"'While sitting there he commenced swearing at (the Egyptian)" said Hunt, who may not have been in uniform. "His remarks were so offensive that I spoke to him about the matter and asked him to behave like a gentleman. He immediately turned on me and told me he was a colonial and asked who the bloody hell I was and told me to mind my own bloody business. He continued his remarks then came down in front of me and was again offensive. Amongst other things he threatened to punch my face."

Martineau countered that Hunt had mocked his loss of an arm with the words "Because you have only one arm you can do what you like." Hunt denied saying that, reporting instead that, when Martineau had threatened him with violence he (Hunt) had said "You are taking advantage of the fact that you have only one arm."

In Hunt's opinion, Martineau was the worse for drink.  Martineau denied this and also denied insulting the Egyptian civilian, saying "for I am always courteous to these people." He did, however, admit to insulting Captain Hunt. 

This admission ended his military career. Insulting an officer of superior rank was not to be tolerated. A court-martial was, however, not conducted due to the standing of the Victoria Cross, if not Lieutenant Martineau.

GHQ

"I understand from Brig. Gen McGregor that this officer is not physically fit for service at the front. Although he denies the actual offence of drunkenness, it is evident that his behavior on the night in question was unbecoming and indicates his unsuitability for employment for a place such as Alexandria.  

I recommend that he be sent back to New Zealand.

If it were not for his being in possession of the VC I would have ordered his trial.

Mudros, 30/9/15              (signed) E A Atham Lt Gen IGC"

Horace Martineau, VC, was quietly struck off the Regimental List and invalided home with a case of colitis.  This worsened after his return and he died in Dunedin Hospital of gastritis and haematemesis (bleeding from the stomach causing the vomiting of blood). Because his fatal illness was effectively a continuation of the one he contracted while on active service his name was included on the honour roles of war dead.

News in Brief

Lieutenant H. B. Martineau, V.C., formerly transport officer in the Otago Infantry Battalion, who returned invalided by the Maheno, died in the Dunedin Hospital on Saturday. He won his V.C. at Game Tree, in December, 1899, during the Boer War, when he was three times wounded, and had his left arm amputated.  -Bay of Plenty Times, 13/4/1916. 

ANZAC ANNIVERSARY

OBSERVANCES IN DUNEDIN.  (excerpt)

Dunedin took its share today in the Empire arrangements for commemorating the anniversary of the landing of the New Zealand and Australian troops at Anzac. Shops that were open in the morning closed at 1 p.m. The hotels voluntarily shut their bars from 2.50 to 4.50. Flags ere shown from most of the business premises, and the Town Hall front was specially dressed with bunting. The intercessory service at First Church at 12.30, conducted by the Rev. I. H. Balfour, was largely attended. It opened with the singing of Psalm 46, the reading of the 7th Psalm, and prayer by the Rev W. Todd. One of the most appropriate functions of the day was the wreath-placing. The women of the Otago Recruiting Committee visited the three cemeteries for this purpose during the early morning. At the Anderson Bay Cemetery a wreath in the form of the Victoria Cross was placed on the grave of Captain Martineau, the card bearing the inscription “In loving remembrance of a hero.” Privates F. Canning, Senior, Dick, and Calder also rest in the Anderson Bay Cemetery, and on each of their graves a wreath was placed.  -Evening Star, 25/4/1916.

"Sincere" writes to the Dunedin Star commenting on the fact that the military were very poorly represented at the funeral of Lieutenant Martineau, V.C., a soldier who fought at Anzac, and won his V.C. in South Africa, where he lost an arm. The correspondent remarks "that many of our high-ranked officers delight on occasions which please themselves to be present in all their dignity at ceremonial functions and sendoffs," but it was left to "three young Anzac officers and a couple of Otago officers of lower rank to pay their last respects to a man who was at least a hero, and who had gained a distinction in the Army to which none of the absent ones could claim possession."  -Taranaki Daily News, 28/4/1916.

"The military" might have been busy on the day of the funeral of Horace Robert Martineau, VC.  It took place close to the first anniversary of the Anzac landings at Gallipoli.  Or it is possible that local members of "the military" might have found it convenient not to attend the funeral of a soldier sent home in secret disgrace.

Andersons Bay Cemetery, Dunedin. DCC photo.