Martin Gallagher (SN 6265) born in Ballarat, was a 26 year old plate layer when he enlisted on May 8th 1916. His unit embarked from Melbourne aboard the Euripides on September 11th 1916. Like most men who enlisted in Ballarat, he trained with the 14th Depot Battalion before he was attached to the 8th Battalion. In August he incurred the wrath of his superiors when he was charged with 'breaking away from the March', for which he was fined ten shillings. Just two days before Christmas 1916 he joined the 8th Battalion in France. On September 20th 1917, while fighting near Ypres in Belgium, he was wounded in action. He received a shrapnel wound to his right hand and was evacuated, first to hospital in France, and then to England. Initially he was assessed as 'unfit for all services for 6 weeks' but this was later amended to 'permanently unfit for general service'. He returned home on March 21st 1918 on the Euripides and was discharged on Anzac Day as 'medically unfit – SW right hand. Stiffness three fingers'.