PRIVATE R.J.H. LARKIN
THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT
28TH SEPTEMBER 1915 AGE 19
BURIED: LAPUGNOY MILITARY CEMETERY, BETHUNE, FRANCE
I have been able to find out very little about R.J.H. Larkin. I can see that he attested on 5 March 1915, giving his age as 19 and 30 days, and naming his aunt, Mrs R Larkin, as his next of kin. It's a Mrs R Larkin who confirmed his inscription. But the inscription refers to him as a 'dear grandson' not a nephew.
Larkin served with the 8th Battalion the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment, which crossed to France at the end of August 1915. In reserve on the 25 September, the opening day of the Battle of Loos, they went into action on the 26th suffering very heavy casualties. The battalion war diary describes the day:
"Trenches E of Vermelles
26th [September]
Attack begins at 11.5 a.m. & the battalion advances under heavy machine gun and shrapnel fire in lines of platoons in extended order - As the advance continues over the Lens - La Bassee road the machine gun fire from the flanks was very heavy - On reaching the enemy trenches it was found to be protected by barbed wire, which has not been cut and it being impossible to get through it, the brigade retired. There appeared to be no panic & the men walked back still under machine gun and shrapnel fire."
The diary concludes the report with the information that the battalion had suffered 419 casualties killed, wounded and missing. Initial reports had Larkin among the wounded but he died two days later.