THE QUEEN’S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL AWARDED TO PRIVATE P. LARWIN, 2ND BATTALION ROYAL DUBLIN FU

THE QUEEN’S SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL AWARDED TO PRIVATE P. LARWIN, 2ND BATTALION ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS, WHO SAW SERVICE DURING THE BOER WAR USING THE ALIAS LAVIN AND WHO RE-ENLISTED FOLLOWING THE OUTBREAK OF WW1 AND SAW SERVICE WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF UNITS DURING THE PERIOD 1914-1919. Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902, 6 clasps, Cape Colony, Talana, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal (officially impressed: 5660 PTE. P. LARWIN. RL. DUBLIN FUS:). Top clasp slightly bent and with hairline fracture at centre, couple of minor edge nicks, otherwise Almost Extremely Fine.

Medal accompanied by 11 pages of copied service papers (7 pages Boer War and 4 pages WW1) and copied medal rolls (2), confirming QSA and clasps and that Larwin was also entitled to the King’s South Africa Medal.

Patrick Larwin was born in the parish of Royton, Oldham, Lancashire. He enlisted into the Royal Dublin Fusiliers on 15/10/1895. At time of enlistment he was 19 years of age and confirmed that he was then serving in the 3rd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers. Larwin never rose above the rank of Private, transferred to the Army Reserve on 8/4/1903 and was discharged on 14/10/1907. He re-enlisted into the Section “D” Army Reserve on 20/2/1908. Following the outbreak of WW1, Larwin re-enlisted, on 22/8/1914, and saw service with a number of regiments, including the Lancashire Fusiliers, Leicestershire Regiment, Middlesex Regiment, Bedfordshire Regiment and the Labour Corps. He was eventually discharged to the class “Z” Army Reserve on 20/2/1919.