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1896 Aug 5 Born Dublin . Oddly no Christian name was registered, and his names added in Mar 1897
1901 census at 6 Wellington Lane, Pembroke West, Dublin
1911 census at a boarding school at Mounttown Road, Upper Kingstown, Dublin. The name of the school has been removed from the census
He then went to Trent College, Derbyshire and was still at school when war broke out.
1915 Aug 3. 8th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment); Howard de Courcy Martelli to be Second Lieutenant.
1916 May 9. Landed in France
1916 Jun 18 - Jun 27. In the front line. The War Diary says The nine strenuous days during which we had held the line, had been a severe trial, and where everyone did so well it is difficult to single out any for special mention, but we feel we must say how much we owed to Capts. Turner, Vann and Hill, for the excellent way in which they worked to keep up the spirits of their men during those trying times, and to Sergts. Slater and Rawding, for the splendid way they kept their men together during several particularly unpleasant “straffs” by the Boche of our front trenches. During that time, too, much excellent patrolling was done by Marshall, who unfortunately was wounded one day when taking rather too great risks in observing the Boche lines, and Martelli, ably helped by L.-Corpl. Hickman, and Pvte. E. C. Bryan. Our casualties during those nine days included Capt. Vann, slightly wounded, Lieut. Hindley, who got a nasty splinter wound on the nose, 16 other ranks killed, and 44 wounded.
1916 Sep 21. At 11.15 p.m., the wire patrol again went out and laid tapes from the gaps back to “Cavendish Sap” in our own front line to guide the raiding party across No Man’s Land. The party was divided up into several smaller parties, commanded respectively by Lieut. Martelli, 2nd Lieuts. Duff, White, and Hall, and Comp. Sergt.-Major G. Powell. In addition there were two teams of Brigade machine gunners to guard the flanks, and seven sappers to blow up dug-outs. The total of the party was five Officers, and 136 other ranks. All identification marks, badges, letters, etc., had been removed from all members of the raiding party, and faces, hands and bayonets were blackened. Smoke helmets were carried in the pocket, and gas and phosphorus bombs were taken for clearing dug-outs, together with a number of flashlights and torches.....Much of the success of the raid was undoubtedly due to the excellent patrolling which had been done by Martelli and his Scouts, L.-Corpl. Hickman, and Pvtes. Bambrook and Haslam, who throughout worked with the greatest skill, and left nothing undone to ensure that all was in order
Jones, who followed Marshall as Intelligence Officer, got wounded on patrol, and was succeeded by Martelli. Martelli and his Scouts and many others did some very good patrols, but on some nights when the moon was bright, and the ground covered with snow, this work was not easy. Long white nightshirts complete with hoods were tried, but not considered very suitable, as they looked quite dark against the white snow, and on the whole were not a success.
1917 Jul 1. Notts. & Derby.Regt.—The undermentioned 2nd Lts. to be Lts. H. de C. Martelli
1917 Sep 11. Another misfortune occurred in our next trench tour on September 11th, when a raid was attempted by Capt. Martelli, in command of a party consisting of C Company and half A Company. The raid was to be carried out against enemy trenches opposite Railway Craters, at 11.45 p.m. It was carefully practiced beforehand over a taped model. Unfortunately, the enemy were evidently aware of our intentions, probably divining that a raid was in prospect from the fact of our having cut gaps in the wire, and whilst our men were forming up in No Man’s Land, they suddenly opened an intense bombardment, mostly of gas bombs, which fell right amongst them. Our men immediately put on their box respirators, but in the dark it was quite impossible to advance with them on, and seeing that progress was impossible, Martelli, who was himself wounded, withdrew his party, suffering in casualties during the whole operation, three other ranks killed, and 30 wounded. C Company were again unfortunate the following night, when they were bombarded with heavy trench mortars, and suffered nine more casualties.
He was wounded in this action
1918 Feb 18. Lt. H. de C. Martelli, M.C. (Notts.& Derby. E., T.F.), to be actg. Capt. while comdg. a Co.
1918 Sep 28. The undermentioned Lts. (Notts. & Derby. R., T.F.) relinquish the actg. rank of Capt. on ceasing to comd. a Co.: — H. de C. Martelli, M.C.
1920 Nov 6. Joined ADRIC with service no 1000 Posted to H Coy
1921 Apr 15. On the golf course at Tralee when Major J A Mackinnon, CO of H Company ADRIC, was shot
1921 Jul 2. An incident at Ardfert Station. 3 Constabulary medals awarded.
1921 Jul 2. Posted to Depot. Held on Command as a Platoon Commander, but this is counter-manded and he never makes a Permanent Cadet
1921 Jul 7. Posted to H Coy
1921 Aug 2 to 31 Aug on Leave
1921 Oct 31 to 16 Nov on Leave
1922 Jan 13. Discharged on demobilisation of ADRIC
1922 Sep 14. His MIC shows him in Clogher, Co Tyrone. He was a DI in the RUC Specials
1922. Married Oliviere Tabuteau. They had one son and one daughter
1922 He was in command of the police guard to the Governor of Northern Ireland
1925 ADC to the Governor of Northern Ireland
1929. Son Peter born (he died 1961)
1935 Jun 3.Royal Victorian Order. To be Members of the Fourth Class. Captain Howard de Courcy Martelli, M.C.
1936 Dec 21 Proclaiming the King in Londonderry
1945 Aug 10 Gazetted . Vice-Admiral The Earl of Granville, K.C.V.O., C.B., D.S.O., Governor-Designate of Northern Ireland, who assumes Office on 7th September, 1945, has made the following appointments to his Household to take effect from that date.Honorary Aides-decamp: Captain H. de C. Martelli, M.V.O., M.C.
1953 Died Belfast aged 57.
