John Vernon Larkin (SN 3160/Lt.) was born in Hawthorn, but attended Ballarat’s St. Patrick’s College. The unmarried clerk enlisted at St Arnaud on July 20th 1915 at the age of 23. He was allocated to the 8th Infantry Battalion and embarked from Melbourne in late November on board the Commonwealth. He arrived in France at the end of March 1916 but was transferred to England in July after suffering a gunshot wound to his hand. He rejoined his unit in November and was promoted several times in the next 18 months, ultimately to 2nd Lieutenant in May 1918. He was killed in action at Lihons on 9th August 1918, and is buried in the Rosieres Communal Cemetery, France.

Lucas’s Staffs Appreciation of Brave Men, the original Avenue register, records his name as John H. Larkin