The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (419) Private Martin Joseph Larkin, 1st Battalion, First World War.

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Chris Widenbar, the story for this day was on (419) Private Martin Joseph Larkin, 1st Battalion, First World War.

419 Private Martin Joseph Larkin, 1st Battalion
KIA 25 April 1915

Story delivered 30 May 2017

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Martin Larkin.

Martin Joseph Larkin was born in 1877 in Lambton, New South Wales, to William and Anne Larkin. He was educated at St Benedict’s Boys’ School and went on to serve four years with the Royal Irish Rifle Regiment. Larkin worked as a blacksmith, and was a founding member of the popular Newton Pastime Club. However, he was best known as a boxer under the name “Paddy Martin”, participating in a number of widely-publicised bouts around the turn of the century.

Martin enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in September 1914, roughly a month after his younger brother Ted Larkin, a prominent rugby player and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. The two were posted to the 1st Battalion, and left Australia for active service overseas with the first contingent.

The Larkin brothers landed on Gallipoli on 25 April 1916. Sergeant Ted Larkin had a close call shortly after wading ashore when some of his equipment was hit by a Turkish bullet. He quickly led his section to the heights above the beach, but was killed in action about three o’clock in the afternoon as he led a charge against Turkish positions.

Ted Larkin’s body was recovered and placed in a trench with a blanket over its face. Private Martin Larkin came along the trench looking to see who had been killed. A London magazine later told the story that Martin, “pulling aside the blanket covering the dead man’s face … gave a cry of horror. It was his own brother … He bowed his head reverently for a moment over the cold, set features; then, snatching a rifle and bayonet from the man nearest him, he scrambled quickly across the trench. Before any man present suspected his intention, Paddy Larkin was leaping towards the enemy to avenge his brother’s death. A storm of bullets opened on him … Very short and fierce was the fight,” reported the magazine, “but Paddy Larkin died happy. His brother’s death was avenged.”

Private Martin Larkin’s body was never recovered from the battlefield. Today he is commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial. He was 38 years old.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among more than 60,000 Australians who died while serving in the First World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private Martin Joseph Larkin, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Unit