About Martin Clemens
Major Warren Frederick Martin Clemens was a British-Australian colonial administrator and military officer. In late 1941 and early 1942, while serving as a District Officer in the Solomon Islands, he helped prepare the area for eventual resistance to Japanese occupation. His additional duties as a coastwatcher alerted the Allies to Japanese plans to build an airstrip on Guadalcanal. This resulted in Allied carrier raids and eventually a landing by United States 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. Guadalcanal became the site of the first major land offensive against the Japanese in the South Pacific. The First Marine Division also awarded him the commemorative Faciat Georgius medal, which he helped design. Clemens became an Australian citizen in 1961 and was involved in numerous public service and charity efforts.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.