WWI widow made to fight for pension: 'My children are paupers after their Daddy doing his bit for his country'
Annie Martin took her husband’s case to tribunal
George Martin, a father of two and a moulder in an iron works from Bonnybridge near Falkirk, joined the army in September 1914. Just over four years later he would die at aged 28.
George didn’t die on the front line. He was one of thousands whose health was shattered by their experiences and for whom the fight evolved into one for a pension – in his case for his widow and their children.
In her case file from the Pensions Appeal Tribunals for Scotland there’s first hand testimony from George’s wife Annie. “When Government raised the cry that England was in danger, and made the call for soldiers my husband, with my consent, enlisted. We both had implicit faith and confidence in the promises made to the soldiers by the Government.”
In 1915, George was seriously injured at Ypres in Belgium. A bullet had struck the sight on a rifle causing it to shatter and fragments ended up lodged in his head. He lost the sight in his left eye and lived with constant headaches, nausea and vomiting.
Annie told the tribunal: “He never knew what it was to have a day’s perfect health since his discharge, he never was without pain.”
George had to take a less well paid job as a travelling salesperson to support his growing family. By 1918 they had three children: Elizabeth, seven, James, five, and baby Marion. His earnings were supplemented by a small war injury pension.
He regularly saw army and civilian doctors and his local GP removed a piece of metal half an inch long from his head in July 1918.
Later that year George caught the flu, developed pneumonia and died at home in Bonnybridge.
Annie was turned down for a widow’s pension. She was left with nine shillings and seven pence a week. Far less than the £2 to £3 pounds a week George had earned before the war.
Annie appealed. She told officials “I have had to put my three children on the Parish and it is a heart break to me, to think that they are being brought up paupers after their Daddy doing his bit for his King and country.”
George’s doctor wrote to the tribunal and said the injury “made him more susceptible to the acute influenza and pneumonia from which he died in Oct 1918, and also militated against any chance of recovery.”
The appeal failed. After the appeal Annie wrote to the tribunal: “I feel I have been shamefully treated. It is anything but justice that I have got.”
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