George Albert Larkin was born on 21 September 1898 in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland, the third of the ten children of George Albert Larkin (1873-1947) and Mary Teresa Larkin née Kelly (1878-1920).
The Irish census of 1901 shows him as aged 2 years and a Roman Catholic, living in a two roomed property in Cloon More, Tralee, with his parents and two siblings: Florence Ethel Larkin (1897-1950) and William Thomas Larkin (1900-1980). His father was an army Sergeant.
In the 1911 census he is shown as aged 12 years and at school, who was living in a seven roomed property at 8 West Street, Colchester, Essex, with his parents and seven siblings: Florence Ethel Larkin - described as 'assists at home'; William Thomas Larkin - no occupation; Beatrice Sarah Larkin (1902-1971) - at school; Cecil Alfred Larkin (1904-1978) - at school; Constance Margaret Larkin (1906-1987) and Frederick Charles Larkin (b.1909). His father described himself as an Army Pensioner and a Tramway Motorman working for Colchester Corporation.
Two further siblings were born: Eric Douglas Larkin (1911-1987) and Reginald Campbell Larkin (1913-2003).
In October 1936 he was appointed as a Postman in the London Postal Service and in the 1939 England and Wales Register he is shown as a postman residing at 24 Frederick Street, London, WC1.
In 1941 he joined the Royal Norfolk Regiment, service number 5781189, and was serving in their 4th Battalion which deployed in 1942 to Singapore. He was captured during the Fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942 and when, as a Japanese prisoner of war and suffering from malaria, he died on 8 October 1943, aged 45 years. His cremated remains were in January 1946 exhumed and reburied in Plot B6, Row O, Grave 11, in the Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery, near the notorious Burma/Thailand Railway in Burma. Confusingly, Japanese prisoner of war records show him as Alfred George Patrick Larkin.
Probate records show that he had lived at 56 Bergholt Road, Colchester, Essex and that when letters of administration (with a will) were granted to his married sister, Beatrice Sarah Burns, his effects totalled £410-15s-9d. On 23 August 1946 the Royal Mail sent his £223-1s-6d gratuity for services as a postman in the Western District of the London Postal Region to his administratrix.
He is shown as 'LAMBERT A.E.' on the Western Postal District war memorial at Mount Pleasant, London, WC1. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, on the Roll of Honour website and on page 152 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1939-1949.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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