Frank Martin DCM MM was born at Mickles Point, Labrador, son of Thomas Henry (Harry) Martin and Emily Martin of Dove Brook, Labrador. On August 3, 1914, Martin enlisted in Halifax, Nova Scotia and was soon at the Western Front in France, with the 40^th Machine Gun Battalion.

By the summer of 1915, the war on the Western Front had stalemated into one of attrition. After the second Battle of Ypres there followed sporadic frontal attacks on both sides without any result other than the slaughter of tens of thousands of men. Conditions were appalling. The troops lived in the squalor and dankness of the trenches, sometimes knee deep in water and mud.

From July 1, 1916, to December 30, 1916, Canadians along with the French and other Allies were involved in the "Slaughter of the Somme", also called the Battle of the Somme. For a pitiable gain of only six miles, 836,000 soldiers were killed, including Germans and 24,029 Canadians.

By the beginning of 1917, a brief respite ensued while plans were laid for an Allied seizure of the formidable German fortification of Vimy Ridge.

At 5:00 in the morning on April 9, 1917, Canadian forces, in driving snow and sleet and under a barrage of artillery fire, began their assault on Vimy Ridge. An hour later they had taken the first line of enemy trenches and by mid afternoon had captured the crest of Vimy Ridge except for two positions which fell three days later. More than 4,000 prisoners were taken, some of them found chained to their machine guns.

On October 30, 1917 in the mud and driving rain, Canadians carried out their assault on the Passchendaele Ridge and captured it by November 10th. The cost had been horrific: Approximately 16,000 casualties, all for a paltry ground gain of four and one half miles.

At 4:20 a.m. on 8 August 1918, without the customary artillery bombardment but supported by tanks, the Canadian Corps charged forward on a front five miles wide, referred to as the "100 Day Final Offensive". By August 22, the Canadians had overcome 10 German divisions, occupied 27 towns and villages and had penetrated a distance of 14 miles. This was the beginning of the end of WW1 with the Allies as victors.

Martin was wounded in action on August 16, 1916, during the Battle of the Somme and while he was still a private. It is likely that he was awarded the Military Medal (MM) for outstanding bravery at that time. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) while still a corporal. Hence it was for action before October 5^th, 1918, likely for action during the "100 Day Final Offensive". His citation reads in part as follows: "...When in command of two machine guns he led his men through a heavy enemy barrage to their objective. Though the whole of one of his teams was put out of action and he himself was wounded, he consolidated his position and held it until relieved. He set his men an excellent example of courage and determination."

He died while visiting his son (himself an RCN veteran of WW2), in Toronto. He is buried in the New Cemetery, Cartwright, Labrador.