Martin Clemens

File:Martin Clemens.jpg Martin Clemens and his Solomon scouts
Nickname(s)	Martin Clemens
Allegiance	United Kingdom Australia
Years of service	1941–1945
Rank	Major

Major Warren Frederick Martin Clemens CBE, MC, OAM (17 April 1915 – 31 May 2009) was a British colonial administrator and soldier. In late 1941 and early 1942, while serving as a District Officer in the Solomons, he helped prepare the area for eventual resistance to Japanese occupation. His additional duties as coastwatcher alerted the Allies to Japanese plans to build an airstrip on Guadalcanal. This resulted in Allied carrier raids and eventually a landing by U.S. Forces and the beginning of the epic struggle in the Solomons. Clemens then directly served the U.S. Marines in coordinating intelligence on Japanese activities.

Early life

Martin Clemens was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. He won scholarships to Bedford School and Christ's College, Cambridge, where he studied agriculture and natural sciences from 1933–1937.

Career

In 1938, he joined the Colonial Service and was sent out to the British Solomon Islands Protectorate (BSIP). He served for three years in Malaita, and became a District Officer in 1941. With the coming of the Pacific War, Clemens volunteered for military service in the British Solomon Islands Protectorate Defence Force and was commissioned a Captain. After a short leave in Australia, Martin Clemens returned by ship to evacuate British and Chinese residents to Guadalcanal.

While responsible for nearly fifteen thousand citizens and various other people on the Guadalcanal, District Officer Clemens additionally served as a coastwatcher. The Japanese planned to cut off United States communications with New Zealand and Australia by building an airstrip on Guadalcanal. When they began landing infantry, support troops and engineers to begin the airstrip, Clemens reported such to the Allies by radio.

Meanwhile, the managers of the coconut plantations had fled Guadalcanal in panic, abandoning the native workers from neighboring islands, who were left to be returned by Clemens. He then established his radio station and coastwatching activities. Though he was a commissioned officer, he received no support from the military and had no uniform. After the Japanese occupied the island of Tulagi in early May, they initiated searches for Clemens and other known colonial officers. In June, the Japanese commenced the construction of an airfield on Guadalcanal, further isolating Clemens and his activities and forcing him to conduct them from enclaves in the mountains. A barefoot Clemens on his jungle shielded mountain played hide and seek with the Japanese. He was running low on food, supplies, power for his radio and shoes, as his had disintegrated.

Guadalcanal became the site of a first major offensive against the Japanese in the South Pacific. Upon the American invasion of Guadalcanal, Clemens and his BSIP Police made contact with the surprised Marines when they marched to the American positions carrying the Union Flag. Cooperation between Clemens and the U.S. Marines made him a key operative on the island. Clemens and his scouts provided the U.S. Marines much assistance with continuous raids on Japanese supplies and radio reports of the enemy's position. His efforts to help the war earned him the Legion of Merit by the U.S., the Military Cross (MC) by the UK, and the Order of Australia medal. The First Marine Division also awarded him the commemorative Faciat Georgius, which he helped design.

Following the war, Clemens served in Palestine from 1946–1947, Cyprus from 1948–1949, returning to Cyprus in 1951–1957 as District Commissioner, and was British Defense Secretary during 1959–1960. Offered a position in Burma, he instead moved to Australia which was home to his wife Anne. His later colonial career led to his appointment as Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

Personal life

Martin Clemens married Anne Turnbull in 1948 and they had four children. Clemens became an Australian citizen in 1961 and was involved in numerous public service and charity efforts. He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1993.

In popular culture

He was featured in the video game Medal of Honor: Rising Sun.

References

• Clemens, Martin (2004 (reissue)). Alone on Guadalcanal: A Coastwatcher's Story. Bluejacket Books. ISBN 1-59114-124-9. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
• "Major Spied on Japanese". Sydney Morning Herald article. 15 July, 2009.

External links

• Martin Clemens – Daily Telegraph obituary
• Martin Clemens's Biography
• Martin Clemens's Book on His Part in the War
• PM Sikua Pays Tribute to British WW 2 Coast Watcher http://www.solomontimes.com/news.aspx?nwID=4071