Chester-le-Street Chronicle 1916
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Robert Larmouth was born 1893 in Whickham, Gateshead, one of 4 children, 3 boys and 1 girl born to Joseph Larmouth and his wife Sarah Ann Whitney 1875 a native of Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire. Joseph and Sarah Ann were married 1892 in Stockton-on-Tees, Joseph died in approximately 1901 leaving his widow with very young children, the youngest Sarah only a few months old. Sarah Ann remarried in the district of Lanchester in 1903 to James Hodgson and went on to have a further 3 children, a boy and two girls. In 1911 they were all living at Mary Pitt, South Medomsley, Dipton, Robert’s step-father working as a hewer whilst he was a stone worker. They had two boarders living with them, Robert Hodgson 28, probably James Hodgson’s brother and Peter Collonley, both hewers at the colliery.
Robert enlisted in Stanley in August 1914 and was assigned as Private 2566 to the 1st/8th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry. The battalion was part of the Northumbrian Division and did it’s early training at Boldon Colliery, then Ravensworth Park and was in Newcastle by October. The Division was mobilised and landed at Boulogne April 17th 1915 just as the Germans’ were preparing to attack Ypres in Belgium. Robert joined his regiment in the field April 26th and by May 14th the 8th Battalion was attached to the 151st Brigade of the 50th Northumbrian Division and participated in the assault on the Bellewaarde Ridge during the last battle of the Second Battle of Ypres. In June 1915 they were reinforced by the newly arrived service battalion, due to heavy losses sustained the 1/6th and 1/8th merged for a time to form the 6/8th Battalion and did not resume their identity until August 11th 1915.
In early December the Division received orders it was to leave France and return to the Ypres salient in Belgium to relieve the troops in the front line. Private 2566 Robert Larmouth Durham Light Infantry was killed in action on the Ypres salient March 16th 1916. He was 23 years old and single.
Private Larmouth is interred in Railway Dugouts Burial Ground (Transport Farm), West Vlaanderen, near Ypres, Belgium. His mother and brother shared all monies due to him, his mother received a pension and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
His brother George Edward Larmouth also served and perished less than four months after his brother during the Great War.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Robert Larmouth is remembered at Craghead on C120.01 and C120.04
