Private Ernest William Leslie Larkins

Ernest William Leslie Larkins was born at Hobart on 10 November 1884 to parents William George Larkins and Margaret Larkins (née Johnson). He was the youngest in a family of two sons.

Before the war, Larkins had prior militia service, with two years in the Field Artillery; he had also served in the Derwent Town Band. Larkins described his occupation at enlistment as a clerk.

Larkins enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) at Claremont, Tasmania, on 9 June 1915 under the name Ernest William Leslie. He was attached to the 1st Australian General Hospital and Convalescent Depot (London) as a corporal. Larkins embarked from Melbourne on the troopship Orsova on 17 July 1915. During the voyage, Larkins participated in a concert held on 30 July 1915 to raise funds for Australia Day Funds. Larkins sang the first song in the program “The Veteran’s Song” and in a quartet performing “The Soldier’s Farewell”.

Larkins arrived in England in August 1915. On 30 August 1915, Larkins was hospitalised with illness and released on 5 October 1915. In January 1916 he was sent to Egypt for duty with the 1st Australian General Hospital. On 6 August 1916 he embarked from Alexandria, Egypt for England on the ship Megantic and was taken on strength at No. 1 Training Camp Salisbury on 15 August 1916.

On 30 August 1916, Larkins, while based at No. 2 Depot at Park House, near Tidworth, England, was absent without leave and remained absent until apprehended in London on 15 September 1917. Larkins had been declared an illegal absentee by a court of inquiry on 23 October 1916. He faced a court martial on 1 October 1917 and was found not guilty of desertion but guilty of being absent without leave; he was sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour for 18 months and demoted to private. The sentence was remitted to one of 18 months detention on 2 October 1917. Larkins was then transferred to the AIF Detention Barracks at Lewes, England.
On 29 October 1917, Larkins was transferred from detention to the 12th Battalion and on 9 April 1918 was sent to France and taken on strength with the 12th Battalion on 27 April 1918. In consideration for his transfer to active duty in France, Larkins’ unexpired portion of his detention was remitted as from 9 April 1918 under Kings Regulations. After a period in hospital with conjunctivitis, Larkins rejoined his unit in May 1918.

Larkins died of a shell wound sustained in action with the 12th Battalion on 23 August 1918 during a major attack on the German lines near Chuignes, France, by the 1st Australian Division and the 32nd British Division. This battle was a part of the Allied counter-offensive, also known as the second Battle of Albert, was successful in capturing the ridge of Chuignes on the south side of the Somme River.

Ernest William Leslie Larkins was originally buried at Mericourt-L’Abbé Communal Cemetery north of Villers-Bretonneux, France, but was later interred in the Heath Cemetery at Harbonnières, about 13 kilometres east of Villers-Bretonneux.

Larkins’s brother Harold had moved to New Zealand and joined the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in July 1917. He was declared a deserter by a court of inquiry in April 1918 but the unexpired portion of his sentence was remitted following his posting overseas in June 1918. Harold Larkins was awarded the Military Medal for acts of gallantry in the field in October 1918.