LANG, Frank Harold
| Service Number: | Officer |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 7 April 1915, Keswick, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 5th Field Company Engineers |
| Born: | Adelaide, South Australia, 19 March 1882 |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | St. Peter's College |
| Occupation: | Electrical Engineer |
| Died: | Killed In Action, France, 26 July 1916, aged 34 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Hackney St Peter's College Fallen Honour Board, St. Peters East Adelaide Public School Roll of Honour, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 7 Apr 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Keswick, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 31 May 1915: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, Officer, 27th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Geelong embarkation_ship_number: A2 public_note: '' |
|
| 31 May 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, Officer, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Geelong, Adelaide | |
| 26 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 5th Field Company Engineers, Battle for Pozières , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: awm_unit: 5th Field Company, Australian Engineers awm_rank: Lieutenant awm_died_date: 1916-07-26 |
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"THE LATE LIEUTENANT F. H. LANG.
Lieutenant Frank Harold Lang, who was first reported wounded, is now announced to have been killed in action in France on July 26. He was the third surviving son of Mrs. W. S. Lang. After leaving St. Peter's College he studied as an electrical engineer. For some years he was employed on the Golden Horseshoe mine at Kalgoorlie. From there he received an appointment on the Wallaroo mine, and at the time of his enlistment he had charge of the electrical plant of the South Australian Portland Cement Company at Brighton. He left South Australia as second lieutenant. While in Egypt he was made machine gun officer in his battalion, and was raised to the rank of first lieutenant. After being in the trenches for three months he volunteered for a vacancy in the — Field Company of Engineers, and he was with this branch of the forces when he met his death. He was of a kind and generous nature, and will be much missed in yachting and lacrosse circles. His two younger brothers, C. H. and F. C. Lang, are now in camp." - from the Adelaide Chronicle 16 Sep 1916 (nla.gov.au)
From the book Fallen Saints
Frank Harold Lang was born at College Town, South Australia in 1882. He left school early to commence a seven-year electrical engineering apprenticeship with the Government during which time he served as a provisional subaltern in the Citizens Force at Kadina.
When he enlisted at Keswick in April 1915, he applied for and was granted a commission in the AIF. He was posted to D Company, 27th Battalion as a second lieutenant and sailed from Adelaide with the battalion aboard HMAT Geelong on 31 May 1915.
When the battalion left Egypt for Gallipoli, he was seriously ill and did not rejoin the unit until January 1916. He proceeded to France with the battalion in March and from the beginning of April, until he transferred to the 5th Field Company Engineers in May commanded the machine gun company at Morbecque. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 29 June and killed in action at Pozières on 26 July; he was 34 years of age.
During an interview in January 1917 Sergeant Allan Dewhirst said he saw Captain Lang’s grave in the side of a trench at Pozieres. He said he was told by someone who was with Lang at the time of his death, that he was killed by a shell as he was coming out of the trench, and buried on the spot.
The man, whose name Dewhirst could not recall, said he knew Captain Lang very well.
‘His father was a well known electrical Engineer in Adelaide and Captain Lang was in the firm a partner I believe.’ [i]
In a letter to Frank’s mother dated 29 July 1916 Lieutenant John Burnell MC, 5th Company Australian Engineers asked what comfort could he as ‘a mere unknown man give’ to a Mother who has just lost here dear son?
Very little, except as one of his comrades in arms to send you word how well he always bore himself and how he fell in the very forefront of the terrific fighting now proceeding around Pozieres, looking after his men and carrying out his job, and surely at the present moment that is the supreme service one can render the state.[ii]
Burnell told her Frank had been killed instantly by a large shell which exploded next to him and that he was buried the next day by a party of his own men on the battlefield just south of the village of Pozières, ‘where many other brave men, Australians, British and Germans lie.’
We shall miss him very much from the company with his coolness & even temper, his quiet humour and fine breeding. In due course you will receive all his effects which appeared to have any personal value; his tunic, presentation shaving case, little diary and pay book, some snap shots and his letters which you will notice include a couple of unposted ones written by himself. If there should be anything in the matter in which I might be of any assistance to you be so good as to ask it at once & believe me. [iii]
Frank’s brothers, both Bombardiers, Frederick (OS and Clifton Lang MSM (OS) served in the 23rd Field Artillery Brigade (Howitzer) and returned to Australia after the war.
[i] Australian War Memorial, Australian Red Cross wounded and missing enquiry bureau files - Lang, Frank Harold / 1550312 viewed 2 October 2005
[ii] Burnell Letter regarding Frank Harold Lang courtesy of Lang family
[iii] ibid
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