About this record

This is a letter sent to Amelia Martin giving details of the death of her only son, Private James Charles (Jim) Martin, at Gallipoli. The cause of death is given as 'Syncope following Enteritis': a coma caused by typhoid or a similar major bacterial infection of the lower intestine.

James Martin’s story

Private James Martin (Service Number 1553) is believed to be the youngest Australian to die on active service. At the time of his death, the army was under the impression that he was 18 1/2 years old. In fact, he was only 14 years and 9 months old.

Martin was born on 3 January 1901 and enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in April 1915, three months after his 14th birthday. At his enlistment, he brought with him a three-line statement of consent signed by his mother and father. The Martin family was strongly opposed to his enlistment, but he forced them to agree by stating he would join up under a false name if they did not consent.

Martin landed at Gallipoli on 8 September 1915 as a member of the first reinforcements of the 21st Battalion. In August that year, a huge epidemic of diarrhea caused by enteritis had broken out at Gallipoli, brought about by appalling sanitation and a huge infestation of flies. In the week before Martin landed, 7.5% of the Anzac forces had been evacuated sick. Of those remaining, 78 per cent had diarrhoea.

Of the 8709 Australian fatalities at Gallipoli, 665 died of disease. Martin was one of them. On 25 October 1915, less than 2 months after landing, he was evacuated by barge to a hospital ship anchored off Gallipoli. He died the same day.