Herbert Joseph Larkin
| Herbert Joseph Larkin | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | "Jimmy" |
| Born |
8 October 1894 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Died | 10 June 1972 (aged 77) St. Martins, Guernsey, Channel Islands |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | British Army Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1914–1919 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit |
Royal Australian Engineers No 65 Squadron RFC No. 5 Squadron RFC No. 87 Squadron RAF |
| Awards |
Distinguished Flying Cross Croix de guerre (France) |
Captain Herbert Joseph Larkin DFC (8 October 1894 – 10 June 1972) was an Australian-born British World War I flying ace credited with 11 confirmed victories. Postwar, he became a pioneering aviator and aircraft manufacturer in his native Australia. He returned to his nation's service for World War II. After that war, he became a human rights advocate and author.
Herbert Joseph Larkin was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. His mother, Annie Mary Frances McHugh Larkin, was from Queensland. His father, Herbert Benjamin George Larkin, was from Kent, England. The Larkin patriarch was a clerk for the Australian United Steam Navigation Company until about 1901; he then moved his family to Melbourne. By 1916, he accepted a manager's position with Commonwealth Shipping Line, and would later rise to become Chairman of the Board.
Herbert Joseph Larkin was educated at St. Thomas Grammar School in Melbourne. He became a junior clerk for the Union Steam Ship Company.
He enlisted in the Signal Troop of the Australian Imperial Force on 19 August 1914. He claimed two years prior experience in the 21st Signal Troop. He designated his next of kin as M. H. Larkin, residing in Saint Kilda, and claimed British citizenship.
In August 1914, Larkin joined the 1st Signal Troop, Royal Australian Engineers, AIF as a corporal. He served in both Egypt and at Gallipoli as signals clerk for Generals Sir John Monash and Sir Harry Chauvel. He was wounded in the chest by a sniper at Gallipoli on 18 September 1915 and medically evacuated to England.
On 22 April 1916, Larkin was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps, and on 16 July was appointed a flying officer.
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