Ernest Martin Archive
 

Attached currently for sale on EBay, sorry I do t know how to post a link on an iPad but well worth a look.

P.

I spotted this too, looks fascinating but more for specialist OTC collectors.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/British-Arm...-127635-2958-0

I’ve heard Martin was a great man of letters and asking for badges.

In the 1950s when the MHS still met at the IWM the staff became suspicious of packages arriving addressed to EJ Martin C.O. the IWM. It transpired he had advertised in all the local Wandsworth and Bermondsey papers for their service battalion cap and in latter cases collar badge (pairs) supposedly for the IWM. Needless to say the IWM had no knowledge of this.

I’m told he was giving the option at the next AGM of resigning or being denounced from the committee, he chose the former.

Interesting story Luke, I wonder where it originated.

P.

Ernest J Martin may have offered to resign from the MHS in the 1950s but he continued to write articles for the Bulletin until at least 1975.

The MHS met at the Duke of York’s HQ in the King’s Road in the early days and were meeting at the NAM in the 1990s when the DOY HQ site was sold for redevelopment.

Tim

That was a first hand account from someone who was there.

He also told me of Gaylor’s activities re staybrites reproductions which are an accepted fact on here now and came to light via other sources.

I doubt the Martin story would be untrue given the other is openly accepted. I would also suggest the adverts would be in the local papers, but as I trust the person implicitly I do not feel the need to go searching.

Also the MHS records should also show if Martin resigned from the committee, even if he did continue to write articles for decades after.

Considering the letters formed the article I can see little of value in the book that is worth £100.

Indeed this is in the MHS Bulletin of November 2012 recounting the memories of an early member (who was there!)

“E J Martin the Society’s first Honorary Secretary was made to resign at the 1956 AGM and his name as founder was removed from the Bulletin later in the light of further revelations”.

However, his contributions continued to be published regularly until 1975 so perhaps he was forgiven?

Tim

The reason for my post about the ( ridiculously expensive ) archive on EBay ( and I wish I hadn’t bothered ) was that it seems to show the source of Ernest Martins information for the article on Badges of The OTC which was published in the Spring 1938 of the JSAHR.

An excellent ,well researched article ( in my opinion ) no matter what you might think about the author.
P.

There is a comprehensive list of OTC etc badges in the National Archives


32/13313 TA OTC & Cadets (Code no 6F) Univ TC shoulder titles and cap badges

Peter

I agree with you here. It is a very well written article and it's a shame K&K did not cross reference it against their list of OTC badges. if I had one small criticism it is that he does not record all of the OTCs including those who wore a Regular pattern badge. He does say that contingent commanders did not give their permission for their details but I wonder why this was or perhaps they simply did not reply and in those days the information was just not accessible to him?

The fact that he went to the schools and confirmed what they wore is in stark contrast to K&K where they have attributed Hugh King's collection and not always got it right.

Cross referencing EJ Martin's article of 1938 against the 1939 Army list shows the following missing ones. He stated 10 but in fact it was 15:

1. Bishop Veseys - Warwickshire Regiment badge.
2. Brighton GS - school badge
3. Christ College Brecon - South Wales Borderers.
4. Coatham School - Green Howards.
5. Grimsby Municipal College - Lincolnshire regt. (they had dropped their own bespoke OTC school badge)
6. Haberdasher Askes - School coat of arms badge. The cadet corps (closed 1930) had been 3rd Cadet Bn RF.
7. Hulme Grammar Manchester. School badge
8. King's College Wimbledon - School badge
9. King's School Rochester - school badge.
10. Lancing College - school badge
11. Morrisons College - school badge.
12. Mount St Mary's College - school cadet corps badge
13. Sherborne School - Dorsetshire regiment badge
14. Stamford High School - School badge
15. West Buckland school - Devonshire Regiment.

Alan

I have been looking into some of the grey areas in this article. I strongly suspect that the small Cranleigh OTC badge he says was used was in fact a collar badge. I wonder if he asked each OTC for a badge and Cranleigh sent him a collar which he took to be a cap badge.

I only say this as every OTC photo shows a large badge and the CCF badge was also large whilst facing small collars are seen with the OTC scroll. It would be odd to wear a large cap badge on a peaked cap to reduce it in size but then to go back to a large one for the CCF who would be in berets which would have suited a small badge.