Cyril Martin (British Army officer)
Major Cyril Arthur Joseph Martin, GC, MC (23 July 1897 – 29 November 1973) was a British Army officer who earned the George Cross for bravery in bomb disposal during World War II. He was born in Derby, England, and served in the Royal Garrison Artillery during the First World War, being commissioned in 1916. He received the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry when, with two men, he fought a burning ammunition dump under heavy fire and helped prevent further explosions.
Re-commissioned in 1940, Martin served with the Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal Squad during The Blitz. On the night of 17–18 January 1943, a large bomb with a dangerous fuse fell in Battersea, London. With Lt R.W. Deans, he spent about 18 hours disposing of it, removing the base plate and extracting the explosive filling by carefully using steam to soften the TNT, after other methods failed. His actions saved lives and earned him the George Cross, announced on 11 March 1943.
He died in 1973 in South Cadbury, Somerset, and is buried at St Thomas A Becket, South Cadbury.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 15:24 (CET).