Pte 53115 Henry George Langford

• Age: 33
• From: Marylebone London
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• D.O.W Wednesday 18th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Warlencourt Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: V.A.40

Henry George Langford was born on the 28th May 1883 in Marylebone, London. He was the son of Thomas Holland and Martha (nee Wossencraft) Langford,. His parents married on the 25th March 1877 at St Mary, Islington, Holland was a draper of 16 Packington St, father William Frederick a farmer, whilst Martha was of 9 Prebend St, father Daniel a shoemaker. Henry was baptised on 8th July 1883 at St Marylebone. 

On the 1891 Census the family are living at 13 Beaumont Mews, St Marylebone. 

Father Holland is aged 39, a police constable born in Church Stretton, Salop, mother Martha is aged 37 born Dolfor, Montgomeryshire, children born in Marylebone are William aged 13 , a scholar, Albert aged 11, a scholar, Thomas aged 10, a scholar, Charles aged 7, a scholar, Walter aged 4, and Henry aged 3. 

His father died 1895 aged 42. 

On the 1901 Census the family are living at 47 Wharncliffe Gardens, St Marylebone.

His mother Martha is a widow aged 47, children born in Marylebone are William F. aged 23, a clerk in the Civil Service(Admiralty), Thomas H. aged 20, a clerk in the Civil Service(War Office), Henry G. is aged 17, a boy copyist in the Civil Service , Charles F. aged 14, a telegraph messenger, and Alfred W. aged 12. 

The 1911 Census shows the family living at Harlesden Road, Willesden, London.

His mother Martha is a widow aged 57, born 1854 in Montgomeryshire and living on none private means. She has five children living with her, all born in Marylebone, London. William Frederick aged 33, born 1878 and Thomas aged 30, born 1881 are both Civil Servants, Henry George is aged 27, occupation Clerk, Charles Francis aged 24, born 1887 is a Postman and Alfred Walter aged 22, born 1889 is an Engraver on Metals.

He enlisted in London and served originally as Private 20497 in the Surrey Regiment. Following a transfer he was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 53115 when he died of wounds on the 18th October 1916, aged 33, during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive.

18th Bn Diary 

18th October 1916 

Attacked German trenches commencing 3.40 am. Relieved by 19th Manchester Regt. Took up position in support Bn trenches W. of Goose Alley. 

Graham Maddocks in his book Liverpool Pals gives an overview of the events of the day: 

“At 3.40 am the whistles blew, and the Battalion left its assembly trenches, in three waves, approximately fifty yards apart, and began to cross No Man’s Land. Almost immediately, the German Barrage fell on the first wave and halted its advance, so that the second wave soon caught up with it. This was not a great problem at first, and the two combined waves were able to advance together for about 300 yards, whereupon they encountered the German Grid Trench system. On the right of the advance, it was found that the wire was largely intact, apart from a few gaps, and the Germans bombed and machine gunned these gaps, which prevented any further progress. Elsewhere along the trench, however, the wire was cut and there did not seem to be any serious opposition. Nevertheless, the men hesitated to jump down into the German trenches, and instead, began to filter back across to the safety of their own lines. 

By this time the third wave had caught up, as had a fourth wave, which had been detailed to mop up any opposition once the trenches had fallen, and all four waves became intermingled which added to the confusion. No less than three attempts were made to try to get the men to go forward again, but each attempt became markedly less successful than its predecessor, and eventually the attack came to a standstill. Although the British assembly trenches had received the attention of the German guns, the attackers in No Mans Land had not come under any great intensity of fire up until this point. 

However, once it became obvious to the Germans that the attack was disorganised and faltering, they began to fire into the massed men from the flanks. It was probably this that finally settled the issue and convinced the Pals that they could no longer gain the enemy trenches, and all four waves, now merged into one, began to retreat to their own lines. The whole attack had been an abysmal failure, and no ground had been gained at all”.            

He now rests at Warlencourt British Cemetery, France, where his headstone bears the epitaph:

“UNTIL THE DAY BREAK”

Warlencourt Cemetery is entirely a concentration cemetery, begun late in 1919 when graves were brought in from small cemeteries and the battlefields of Warlencourt and Le Sars.  The Graves Registration form shows graves from “Le Sars 6/1, 6/2, Hexham Road, Seven Elms”.

Graves were brought in from the original cemeteries at Hexham Road (Le Sars), and Seven Elms (Flers), as well as over 3,000 British graves due to the fighting which took place around the Butte de Warlencourt from the autumn of 1916 to the spring of 1917, and again in the German advance and retreat of 1918.   The cemetery now contains 3,505 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War, 1,823 of which are unidentified.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to mother Martha, 107 Harlesden Road, Willesden Green, London. 

We currently have no further information on Henry George Langford, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.