John Martin (SN 687) was an 18 year old hairdresser from Durham Street in Ballarat when he enlisted on January 21st 1915. He embarked from Melbourne on May 8th aboard the Ulysses and joined the 21st Battalion for the last two months of the Gallipoli campaign. After Gallipoli the A.I.F. underwent reorganisation and In March 1916 Martin joined the 2nd Pioneer Battalion in France. At Pozieres in August 1916 his bravery as a stretcher bearer under heavy artillery fire earned him a recommendation for a bravery award, but no award was made. In April 1917 foot problems forced his evacuation to hospital in England where he remained for six months. In November he returned to France and saw out the final year of the war without major incident. He returned to Australia aboard the Kyber, disembarking at Melbourne on May 12th 1919 and was discharged on July 21st.