• Separating fact from fiction when researching people •
• The case of Thomas Martyn •
FACTS?
Thomas John Cardell Martyn is described as having a distinguished and decorated military record followed by a successful business career, notably as the founder of Newsweek magazine.
His Wikipedia entry described him as an 'ace' who lost a leg during WW1.
According to his memoirs, bographies, his official military record, public records and other publications:
- Joined the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force on 3 March 1915[1].
Date of birth given as 3 Jan 1894, Greenhays, Manchester.
Occupation given as banker.
- Sailed for the UK 1 July 1915 on board SS 'Grampian'[2].
part of the 4rd Pioneer Battalion.
shown as Cpl. 430304 TJC Martyn, 102nd Regiment.
- Commissioned in the London Regiment as 2nd Lt 11 November 1915[3].
- Transferred to the RFC 15 May 1916.[4][5]
On 14 July 1916 he obtained Royal Aero Club Certificate 3800 at Catterick.
During training he was 'wounded' on 27 July 1916.
This was followed by a long period of being recorded as unfit.
He acted as Assistant Gunnery Instructor in the UK for part of this time.
In May 1917 he joined 38(Home Defence) Squadron.
On 25 July 1917 he was posted to 101 Squadron as Flight Commander (with promotion to Lt).
The squadron embarked for France on the same date.
On 27 September 1917 the fuel tank of his FE2b was shot through on a night bombing raid.
He and his observer were uninjured.
He transferred to 102 squadron in December 1917 with promotion to temporary Captain.
After a temporary transfer in February 1918 to 82 squadron he returned to the UK in March 1918.
He initially served with 51 squadron on Home Defence duties.
He is reported as having ascended to over 19,000ft over the North Sea chasing a Zeppelin.
Whilst with 190(Night Training squadron) he crashed a Sopwith Pup in September 1918 and was seriously injured.
He continued to serve with various units until demobbed on 31 Oct 1919.
- He was awarded the Military Cross 22 April 1918 for his actions with 101 squadron[6].
- He was awarded the Air Force Cross 1 January 1919[7].
He was elected a member of the Royal Aero Club in April 1919[8].
- In 1920 he is recorded as living in Oxford with his wife, Sheila Sutherland.
They had married in 1915 after she followed him from Canada.
They had two children, born 1917 (Patricia d.2004) and 1919 (Valentine d.1958)
- He is recorded as graduating from Oxford University in 1923.
He travelled to Rome with John Franklin Carter.
Martyn subsequently separated from his wife, who later married Carter.
Carter had suggested a career as a journalist.
Martyn travelled to the USA in 1923 and in 1924 joined 'Time' magazine.
He moved to the New York Times in 1925.
- In 1930 he married Helen Cheney, daughter of silk magnate Howell Cheney.
They had two children, in 1932 (Howell d.2009) and 1935 (Laura d.1991).
- In 1933 he founded 'Newsweek' magazine.
The Cheney family helped fund the establishment of the magazine.
Funding also came from John Hay Whitney and Paul Mellon.
The magazine went bankrupt in 1937 and he was bought out by Vincent Astor's 'Today' amid much acrimony.
- His WW2 draft card gives his occupation as unemployed.
- Thomas travelled between the US and South America regularly.
Some reports suggest he was spying for the CIA, but this seems fanciful.
His second wife Helen died in 1958.
- He remarried Mary Irmgard (formerly Irmgard Stahnke) in 1961.
She was Brazilian, working as a maid in Rio, and they moved to her hometown of Agrolandia in Brazil.
He undertook various odd jobs and appears to have raised money from friends and associates for a number of
ill-founded ventures including a chemical firm and shipwreck recovery.
- Both died in Brazil, Irmgard in 1973 and Thomas in 1979.
He destroyed most personal documents before his death.
So far, so good. However, a closer look reveals more than a few inconsistencies. These become more numerous the more one digs.
My research illustrates some of the difficulties faced by historians and genealogists.
References.
1. Canadian attestation papers
Incorrectly indexed as TJA Martyn
2. Nominal Roll of Canadian Expeditionary Force
3. London Gazette 22 Nov 1915 p11587
4. London Gazette 10 Jun 1916 p5812
6. London Gazette 22 April 1918 p4829
7. London Gazette 1 January 1919 p97
8. 'Flight' magazine 1 May 1919 p566
9. Aviation Adventures. The true story of the WW1 Royal Flying Corps pilot who founded Newsweek. Thomas J.C. Martyn. 2015
10. Inside the Founding of Newsweek. How a hot-tempered, one legged RAF pilot launched an American media giant. Thomas J.C. Martyn/Anne Martyn Alexander
11. The man Time forgot. Isaiah Wilner. 2006