Christopher John Larkin was born on 29 July 1899, the youngest of the nine children of William Taylor Larkin (1856-1914) and Charlotte Elizabeth Larkin née Mears (1862-1939). He was baptised on 17 August 1899 at St Paul's Church, Pear Tree Street, Clerkenwell. The baptismal register shows the family as living at 14 Macclesfield Place, Finsbury and the 1901 census confirms he was living there with his parents and five siblings. His father was a scavenger employed by the local vestry.
By the time of the 1911 census he was living at 5 McGrath Place, Hoxton, with his parents and three elder sisters.
In about May/June 1915 he enlisted as a Rifleman in the 4th (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), service number 4441 and entered France on 1 April 1916 where he stayed until 8 June 1916. He was transferred to the 3rd (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) and was allocated a new service number of 281834. He returned to France on 8 April 1918 until on 20 April 1918 he was transferred to the 21st (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (First Surrey Rifles) and was posted to the 8th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment with a service number of 678275.
He was killed in action, aged 19 years, on 1 September 1918 and as he has no known grave he is commemorated on Panel 10 of the Vis-en-Artois Memorial in the Vis-en-Artois British War Cemetery, 1 Route nationale, 62156 Harcourt, Pas de Calais, France. On 8 December 1919 his mother was sent his £4-3s-4d army effects and his £13-10s-0d war gratuity to 26 Great Chart Street, Hoxton, where she now resided. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
