BORN HULL 1889. SON OF THOMAS LARVIN (1859-1908) AND MARY ELIZABETH SMITH (1863-1935), OF 4, EBENEEZER TERRACE, RAYWELL STREET, HULL (1911 CENSUS) AND 3, MARSH STREET, (OFF SCOTT STREET), HULL (CWGC ADDRESS). ONE OF FIVE CHILDREN. HIS FATHER WAS A BUILDER FOR LEVITT’S CONTRACTORS.
EDUCATED AT ST PAUL’S SCHOOL, HULL. HE WORKED FOR CROSSLAND’S STEVEDORES AT HULL DOCKS.
HE ENLISTED IN HULL, ON 18/08/1914, AT THE OUTBREAK OF WAR. HE TRAINED AT BELTON CAMP, GRANTHAM AND SURREY. THEN PROCEEDED TO THE DARDENELLES, WITH THE 6TH EAST YORKSHIRE PIONEERS, ON 14/07/1915. HE HAD SURVIVED THE ATTACK ON TEKKE TEPPE, ON 09/08/1915. HE WAS KILLED AT SCIMITAR HILL, ON 21/08/1915, AGED 25. HIS DEATH AND ADDRESS WERE REPORTED IN THE HULL DAILY MAIL ON 14/09/1915 AND IN THE HULL TIMES, ON 18/09/1915, WITH (PHOTO), AND 26/08/1916. *
HE WAS UNMARRIED. HE IS COMMEMORATED ON THE HELLES MEMORIAL.
HE IS ALSO RECORDED AS KILLED ON THE SCOTT STREET ROLL OF HONOUR (Hull Daily Mail 09 October 1916)
JAMES LARVIN HAD SENT A LETTER TO HIS MOTHER FIVE DAYS BEFORE HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION, SAYING THAT HE HAD COME THROUGH AND WAS SAFE.
HIS BROTHER FRED LARVIN, WEST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT, WAS AT THE SAME TIME WOUNDED IN FRANCE.
HIS OTHER BROTHER, JOHN LARVIN HAD BEEN KILLED SEVEN MONTHS EARLIER IN FRANCE ON 11/01/1915.
JAMES LARVIN IS RECORDED ON THE ST CHARLES BORROMEO CHURCH MEMORIAL, JARRATT STREET, HULL, & ON HULL’S SCOTT STREET ROLL OF HONOUR. HE IS ALSO LISTED IN DE RUVIGNY ROLL OF HONOUR, VOLUME 1, WITH HIS PHOTOGRAPH. *
21st August 1915 – the attack on Scimitar Hill
Wyrall’s “East Yorkshire Regiment in the Great War” shows that the 6th East Yorkshire Regiment had been in reserve from 10th to the 20th August at Nibrunesi Point where they had dug themselves in at the base of a cliff. On 20th August the 6thEast Yorkshires relieved the Northumberland Fusiliers in trenches South East of Chocolate Hill. They came under the orders of 34th Brigade who would attack “Hill W” the next morning.
The 6th Battalion were to dig in and support the Lancashire Fusiliers and the Dorset’s, who would attack the next morning. There was a delay due to lost orders and confusion, and the attack did not commence until 3pm on the 21st. When the Dorset’s and Lancashire’s left their trenches the 6th East Yorkshires moved forward to occupy these trenches. The Dorset’s and the Lancashire’s ran into stubborn resistance and so most of the 6th East Yorkshires were sent forward to support them. The 6th East Yorkshire‘s captured a Turkish trench in front of them and awaited relief. The 6th East York (Pioneers) had occupied Hill 70 (Scimitar Hill), next to W Hill the most vital of all the semicircle of heights overlooking Suvla Bay and were there only waiting for the brigade’s further advance upon W Hill or Anafarta Sagir, to both of which it is the key. They held this trench overnight, but it became impossible to hold the next morning (22nd August) as the number of Turks increased and they had no bombs. Around 7.30 am the 6th East Yorkshires retreated to their original trenches and later that night they were relieved and moved back to their original reserve trenches at Nibrunesi point the following morning. The 6th East Yorkshire casualties by 22nd August 1915, included 26 Officers and 628 men. Officer casualties were 80% and other ranks 68%.
