Australian Army Sapper James Martin

21-year-old Australian Army Sapper James Thomas Martin was one of three Australian soldiers killed on 29th August 2012 by an Afghan soldier at a patrol base in Uruzgan. 

This was his first operational deployment as part of the 3rd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment Task Group. He was a Sapper from the Brisbane-based 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment. 

Sapper Martin was born in Perth, Western Australia. He joined the Australian Regular Army in January 2011 and completed recruit training at the 1st Recruit Training Battalion in Wagga Wagga in April 2011, where he was allocated to the Corps of Royal Australian Engineers. 

On his arrival at the 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment, Sapper Martin became a member of the 7th Combat Engineer Squadron. He completed a number of additional courses including Combat Engineer High Threat Search, Communications and Weapon courses. Along with the rest of his Squadron, Sapper Martin Force Concentrated in Townsville with the 3rd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment in early 2012, in preparation for their deployment to Afghanistan. 

He leaves his mother Suzanne Thomas, his younger brother and sister Angus and Holly, and his grandparents Lucille and Ralph Thomas.