Arthur Larter

Gunner - Service No.90732 - Royal Garrison Artillery

Arthur Larter was born in April 1883 in Swardeston, Norfolk, the son of George Larter and his wife Sarah Ann (Fox). He was the eldest of six children, Herbert (1886), Alice (1888), George (1891), Lydia (1894), and Ernest (1896). George and Sarah married in 1882 and lived at Swardeston in a cottage in Post Office Yard off High Common. Before the birth of daughter Lydia in 1894 the family moved to Swardeston Lane in East Carleton, although Lydia was still baptised in Swardeston church. Like his father and grandfather before him, Arthur initially worked as a carpenter but at the start of WW1 was employed as a gardener.

On Boxing Day 1906 Arthur married Selina Mary Ann Dann at East Carleton and their first daughter Gladys Eva was born on 13th August 1907 at East Carleton. In 1911 Arthur, Selina and daughter Gladys were living in East Carleton and had Arthur's younger brother George lodging with them. After the war Arthur and Selina had a second daughter, Agnes Irene, born on 16th July 1920. Selina Dann was born in Shotesham All Saints in 1882, the daughter of Edward Ambrose Dann and his wife Clara (Tyrell).

Arthur Larter died on 12th November 1951 at East Carleton at the age of 68 and his widow Selina passed away in 1959 at the age of 76. Both of their daughters married. Gladys married Mark Dew in 1940, both Gladys and Mark died in the 1980s. Agnes married Leslie Revell in 1948, both Agnes and Leslie died, within months of each other, in 1995. It is highly likely that their children and/or grandchildren survive but are, as yet, untraced.

Arthur was finally mobilised with the Royal Garrison Artillery as a Gunner, with Service No. 90732 on 4th June 1916 having completed his attestation in Norwich on 11th December the previous year and placed on reserve. This attestation shows that he had earlier served as a volunteer in the 4th Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment. At the time he, Selina and Gladys, were living in Swardeston. Arthur left Southampton for Le Havre on 30th September 1916 and served in France and Belgium with 182 Heavy Battery for the next 21/2 years before transferring to 131 Heavy Battery and returning to England, via Calais, in July 1919. He was finally discharged on 20th October 1919. Some 17 pages of his army records survive from which the above information was gleaned. We also know he was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal, which were posted to him at home in Swardeston on 22nd September 1921. We know that Arthur signed the receipt for his medals two days later but forgot to post it back to the R.G.A. records office in Dover for some two weeks, scribbling an apology on the back of the card before finally dropping it in the post box.

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