Captain Harold Ross Eycott-Martin began and ended his military career in the Royal Engineers. While seconded for duty with the Royal Air Force, he would win a Military Cross in the well-known air action in Italy in which Alan Jerrard won his Victoria Cross. Eycott-Martin would end the war as a flying ace credited with eight aerial victories. In the aftermath of the war, he would fall into disgrace. After being declared bankrupt, he would desert the Engineers and be ejected from the army.