James Fitzgerald Martin

Major-General James Fitzgerald Martin KStJ CB CMG CBE (12 June 1876 – 14 February 1958) was a distinguished British Army officer who served as Surgeon to George VI and to the Viceroy of India.

Martin was the only son of Colonel W. T. Martin.^[1] Martin was educated at Bath College, and at Edinburgh University (MB, ChB, 1899), and at the University of London (DPH, RCS and P., 1911).^[1]

He married, at Exeter Cathedral on 05 June 1906,^[2] Mary Latimer Hawks Moody (1883 – 1960), who was the daughter of Colonel Richard S. Hawks Moody and the granddaughter of Major-General Richard Clement Moody who was the founder of British Columbia.^[1] They had one daughter Mary Charlotte (b. 20 September 1909 at The Court, Cullompton, Devon).^[3]

Martin was commissioned into the British Army as a lieutenant on 4 December 1899.^[1] He served in the Second Boer War in South Africa from 1900 – 1902, for which he received both the Queen's South Africa Medal, with four clasps, and the King's South Africa Medal, with two clasps.^[1] He was promoted to captain on 4 December 1902,^[4] and to major in 1911.^[1]

He served in World War I between 1914 and 1918, during which he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1917, and was mentioned in despatches five times.^[1] He received the CMG, the CBE, and the 1914 Star for his service in World War I.^[1] He was promoted to colonel in 1927, and to major-general in 1931.^[1] He retired from the military in 1935.^[1]

Martin was employed between 1940 and 1943 by the Ministry of Health as Inspector of Hospitals and Assistant Hospital Officer of No. 3 and No. 6 Regions.^[1] He was employed by the Southern Region department of the Ministry of Pensions from 1944 to 1947.^[1] Martin served as Honorary Surgeon to King George VI, and to the Viceroy of India.^[1] He was invested as a Knight of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem.^[1] He was also invested as a Knight of the Order of the Crown of Belgium.^[1]