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HoC - Roll of Honour - Charles Richard Larner

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Frank William Keen -- Alfred James Larner -- Charles Richard Larner -- John Patterson Malcolm -- Archibald Frank Mortimer

Corporal 10482 Charles Richard Larner

9th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps (b. 1893 d. 9 April 1917)

Charles’ parents Daniel and Charlotte Larner had nine children; Rosannah b1887, Lydia b1897, Daniel b1881, George b1883, Sydney b1885, Emily b1887, Charlotte b1889, Charles Richard b1893 and Alfred James b1895. The family knew trying times even before WW1 – as sadly Charlotte Larner died in 1908.

The 1901 census shows the family living locally. Daniel senior is employed as a bricklayer and his son George is listed as a grocer’s assistant. Emily is listed as a domestic servant. It is not known where Rosannah was but it is possible she too was in domestic service. Records suggest Lydia may have married in 1897. The younger children were still at home but two older sons Daniel and Sydney were recorded as being boarders with a family in Acton. Their occupation was described as ‘brick pointers’.

By the time of the 1911 census Daniel senior was living at 15 Stanley Gardens with Alfred described as a ‘laundry carman’ probably at one of the many commercial laundries in the Acton area at this time. They also had a boarder named Henry Newens. George meanwhile was living with his wife at 8, Herbert Gardens while employed by a local grocer at a shop on 17 Gordon Road. Charlotte at this time was a cook in the home of a retired barrister.

Of Daniel and Charlotte Larner’s five sons, four served in the forces, two of them were killed. Their son George did not see active service due to a mix of poor health and the nature of his job which involved food distribution. Food shortages became more acute as the war progressed and rationing was introduced.

Charles was a Corporal in the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, having originally enlisted as a reservist in the 6th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers. He had been twice injured and invalided home, only to return to the Front when fit. He was killed in action five weeks after his brother Alfred died. ‘It was sudden’, according to his platoon sergeant ‘and he suffered no pain, and was buried by four men of his platoon’. Charles lies in Tilloy British Cemetery near Arras. The first casualties were buried at the cemetery in April 1917 so one must assume Charles was among that number.