Lieutenant-Colonel John Leal De Vismes Martin

John Leal de Vismes Martin was transferred from the Royal Militia of Jersey to the Hampshire Regiment in 1928 and in 1930 following training at Sandhurst he was accepted into the regular army. On 26 July 1930, John became a 2nd Lt of the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment.

He was part of the 4th Parachute Regiment in Bovina Camp, Italy in 1945. Prior to the second world war, John served in India in the Central and North West Provinces, seeing action in the Frontier, he also had attachments to the French Army and the Military Mission of America. He was severely wounded whilst serving with the Parachute Regiment in Tunisia. He had a long military career, eventually attaining the rank of Lt Colonel , and retired in 1958 from the army, becoming a school teacher.

Other postings:

Royal Hampshire Regiment 37th/67th Foot

3rd East Anglian Regiment 16th/44th Foot

The Parachute Regiment 1st & 4th Battalions (Commanding the 4th);

2nd Nyasas- Kings African Rifles

The Arab Legion C.O. of the 2nd and 7th Regiments 1951-1954

In 1956 the King of Jordan awarded John The Order of Al Istiqlal, 3rd Class, in recognition of services rendered by him whilst serving in the Arab Legion.