William Seymour LARKAN

William Seymour LARKAN Update Details

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LARKAN, William Seymour

Service Number:	VX32533
Enlisted:	31 July 1940
Last Rank:	Sergeant
Last Unit:	2nd/29th Infantry Battalion
Born:	Stawell, Victoria, 25 July 1905
Home Town:	Elwood, Port Phillip, Victoria
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Bank Teller
Died:	Bentleigh, Victoria, 7 May 1974, aged 68 years, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery:	Springvale Botanical Cemetery, Melbourne Banksia, Wall D, Niche 300
Memorials:	Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial

World War 2 Service

31 Jul 1940:	Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Sergeant, VX32533, 2nd/29th Infantry Battalion
31 Jul 1940:	Enlisted Private, VX32533
11 Sep 1940:	Promoted Corporal, Acting Corporal
2 Jan 1941:	Promoted Lance Sergeant
11 Jan 1941:	Promoted Corporal, 2nd/29th Infantry Battalion, Acting Corporal
30 Jul 1941:	Embarked Corporal, VX32533, 2nd/29th Infantry Battalion, onboard HMT EE
1 Jan 1942:	Promoted Sergeant, 2nd/29th Infantry Battalion
15 Feb 1942:	Involvement Sergeant, VX32533, 2nd/29th Infantry Battalion, Prisoners of War
13 Nov 1945:	Discharged Sergeant, VX32533, 2nd/29th Infantry Battalion
13 Nov 1945:	Discharged Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Sergeant, VX32533, 2nd/29th Infantry Battalion

Help us honour William Seymour Larkan's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Julianne Ryan

Born 25th July 1905 in Stawell, Victoria

Father Seymour William Larkan (b. 16/08/1876 Bright, VIC - d. 21/09/1944 Stawell, VIC)
Mother Annie Matilda Larkan (b. 1878 Rupanyup, VIC - d. 4/10/1925 Stawell, VIC)
both buried in: Lot 3631 Stawell Cemetery, VIC
lived at Wangaratta, Victoria

Siblings:
Roma Veronica Larkan lived at 394 St Kilda St, Elwood, VIC (b. 1917 - d. 1992)
married: Harold Oliver
children:
Russell OLIVER (b. 1946 Melbourne VIC - d. 1967 Melbourne VIC)
Maxwell Oliver (b. 1950 Melbourne, VIC - d. 1969 Melbourne, VIC)

Flight Officer 409842 Max Alexander Larkan - 3 Operational Training Unit (b. 18/1/1910)
10/10/1941 enlisted into WWII RAAF in Melbourne, Victoria
06/11/1941 promoted as Flying Officer
Nov.1941     Victor Harbour, South Australia - No. 4 Initial RAAF Training School
                  Course No.21, "C" Squadron, Flight 12
                  where he commenced training as a pilot with the rank of LAC 2.
31/01/1942 promoted to Leading Aircraftman
In early February 1942 he was posted 3 EFTS, Essendon, Victoria
02/07/1942 received 'Flying Badge'
17/09/1942 promoted to Pilot Officer and on the same day posted to 6 Service Flying
                  Training School (SFTS), Mahala, South Australia, where he trained on
                  Avro Anson's.
17/03/1943 promoted to Flying Officer - 2 weeks later was posted to 3 Operational
                  Training Unit, Rathmines, NSW
RAAF PBY-5 Catalina, A24-39 (USN 0826), of 3 Operational Training Unit Rathmines (3 OTU) crashed during a landing in rough seas opposite Wonderrabah Knob, Port Stephens, New South Wales at 0915 hours on 24 May 1943.
buried in:
Sandgate War Cemetery, Sandgate, Newcastle, New South Wales
Plot E, Row D, Grave 14

VX32533 Sergeant William Seymour Larkan - 2/29 Australian Infantry Battalion (Army)

Described on enlisting as 35 years 6 days of age; black hair; grey eyes;

31/07/1940 enlisted into WWII at Elwood, VIC

28/08/1940 appointed Clerk (Trade Group III)

11/09/1940 promoted to Acting Corporal

19/10/1940 promoted to Acting Sergeant

02/01/1941 promoted to Lance Sergeant Royal Park
detached to Royal Park Pay Office

11/01/1941 reverts to Acting Corporal
detached to 2nd/29th Infantry Battalion

30/07/1941 embarked onboard HMT EE, ex Port of Melbourne, VIC
30/08/1941 disembarked into Singapore

01/01/1942 promoted to Sergeant with 2nd/29th Infantry Battalion

15/02/1942 captured and taken as PRISONER OF WAR

Hospitalization WW2 P.O.W. Changi Prison and Burma Railway

05/09/1945 recoverd from CHANGI Prison

14/09/1945 emplaned from Singapore to Australia

19/09/1945 deplaned into Sydney, Australia

13/11/1945 discharged from WWII

07/05/1974 died in Bentleigh, VIC

cremated: Springvale Botanical Cemetery
Banksia, Wall D, Niche 300

Submitted by Julianne T Ryan. 12/03/2017. Lest we forget.

Virtual
War Memorial
Australia