Horace Robert Martineau
Sergeant, Protectorate Regiment. * South African Forces
- Register No.
- 841 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Sergeant all Sergeants →
- Unit
- Protectorate Regiment. * South African Forces all Protectorate Regiment VCs →
- Date of action
- 26 December 1899 on this day → all of 1899 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Second Boer War
- London Gazette
- 6th July 1900 on this day → all of 1900 →
- Born
- 31st October 1874 at Bayswater, London
- Died
- 8th April 1916 at Dunedin, New Zealand
Digest of citation
During the theaction at Game Tree, near Mafeking, South Africa, on the 26th December, 1899, the order to retire had been given. Sergeant MARTINEAU stopped to rescue Corporal Le Camp, who had been struck down adjacent to the Boer trenches. Somehow he managed to half carry and half drag his wounded comrade to a bush approximately 150 yards from the enemy trenches. During this rescue, the sergeant was wounded in the side, but, in spite of this he continued to dress and bandage the wounds of the corporal. He then assisted the wounded man to retire, during which they came under very heavy fire and the sergeant was again wounded. The second wound, and the supporting of his colleague, caused him to be completely exhausted and he dropped to the ground unable to proceed any further. Altogether he received three wounds, one of which meant that his leg would need amputation More to add
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
MARTINEAU, Horace Robert. (reg No. 841)
Sergeant. Protectorate Regiment. * South African Forces.
London Gazetted on 6th July 1900.
Born on 31st October 1874 at Bayswater, London.
Died on 8th April 1916 at Dunedin, New Zealand. There is an inscription, to the memory of Sergeant Martineau, on the family grave at Brookwood Cemetery, Woking, Surrey.
Digest of Citation reads: During the theaction at Game Tree, near Mafeking, South Africa, on the 26th December, 1899, the order to retire had been given. Sergeant MARTINEAU stopped to rescue Corporal Le Camp, who had been struck down adjacent to the Boer trenches. Somehow he managed to half carry and half drag his wounded comrade to a bush approximately 150 yards from the enemy trenches. During this rescue, the sergeant was wounded in the side, but, in spite of this he continued to dress and bandage the wounds of the corporal. He then assisted the wounded man to retire, during which they came under very heavy fire and the sergeant was again wounded. The second wound, and the supporting of his colleague, caused him to be completely exhausted and he dropped to the ground unable to proceed any further. Altogether he received three wounds, one of which meant that his leg would need amputation * North-west Cape Colony. More to add.
* North-west Cape Colony.
There is an inscription, to the memory of Sergeant Martineau,
on the family grave at Brookwood Cemetery, Woking, Surrey.
Places connected with Martineau
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