Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Lieutenant Frederick Barker Langley SN 3

Frederick Barker Langley was 32 years of age and listed his occupation as a ‘Officer of the Parliament'. Although born, educated and working in Sydney for the NSW Legislative Assembly, he chose to enlist at the Bendigo Town Hall on February 9, 1916.

Frederick was the youngest son of the then Anglican Bishop of Bendigo, The Rev Dr John Douse Langley. He listed his father as Nearest of Kin (NOK) who resided at ‘Bishop’s Court’ or the ‘See House’ situated at the corner of Napier Street and Lyons Street, White Hills. This grand residence of the Bishop and his family was expressly built as the Anglican Bishop’s residence in 1904 for Frederick’s uncle the Rev Henry Langley the former Anglican Bishop of Bendigo who passed away in 1906. 

Frederick’s father, Bishop John Douse Langley had been an outspoken supporter of the war effort and had spoken publicly on many occasions in the Bendigo region for young men to sign up and ‘do their bit’. Having his youngest son enlist in Bendigo and join the newly formed 38th Battalion (known as the Bendigo Battalion) would have been a fulfillment of his father's wishes and set a fine example to the Anglican and Bendigo community.

The 38th Battalion was formed in March 1916 to bolster recruiting from the Bendigo district. Following the heavy losses from the ill-fated  Gallipoli campaign, recruitment into the Australian Imperial Force had hit a plateau. The Prime Minister had promised 50,000 new recruits for the war effort with the promise that units from regions could now be formed. Bendigo soldiers would be led by officers from the Bendigo district who had some affinity with and knew the capabilities of local lads. Lieutenant Colonel Charles H Davis, commanding officer of the 67th Infantry, 67th (Bendigo) Infantry before the war would lead the 38th Battalion which formed part of the 10th Brigade in the Third Division.

Following enlistment completed, Frederick along with other recruits are sent to the Bendigo camp the very next day. The camp is based at the racecourse in Epsom not a great distance from the family home in White Hills.

Although no prior military service, Frederick is promoted to Sergeant after just two and half months in the camp, possibly reflecting the combinatipon of his age, education and position held in the NSW Parliament.   

Following an outbreak of meningitis that hit the camp in May the bulk of the 38th battalion were transferred to the Broadmeadows camp on June 5th. This is probably fortuitous for Frederick and the Bendigo lads as just 9 days later they get to parade before the then Governor General Sir Ronald Munroe Ferguson who presents the colours of the regiment to the 38th Officers and troops.    

Just six days later they would embark from Port Melbourne on June 20, 1916 with Frederick being promoted on this day to Second Lieutenant recorded as 'for the voyage only'.  The ship is the HMAT Runic A54 and three weeks sailing saw their first port of call which was Cape Town. Three days of parades, touring and being entertained by the local people being quite the highlight of the long voyage across the Indian ocean. From Cape Town to England would be more weeks of sailing this time turning north into the Southern Atlantic ocean up through the uncomfortbale tropics into the North Atlantic and onto the excitment of sighting of the south coast of England on the morning of August 10, 1916.  

Diembarking at Plymouth on August 10, the 38th Battalion are entrained to the LarkHill camp on the Salisbury Plain. It was summer and the Devon Hills would have been quite a sight for the Bendigo lads. To their delight they were granted leave four days later and for those that could afford it, the sights of London were the attraction. On return to camp and a further five weeks of training the 38th as part of the 3rd division would take part in a parade before King George in the nearby Bulford field.   

Frederick would be formally promoted to Second Lieutenant on October 21, one day before the battalion would leave England for France. Leaving from southern port of Southampton on November 22 the troop ship traveled overnight arriving in the French port of Le Havre the next day.

The 38th soldiers would walk from Le Havre towards the front for the first time hearing the distant thunder of war that lay ahead of them. First stop was Strezaele before reaching Armentieres, a substantial provincial French town known as the nursery of the 3rd Division. Eric Fairey writes in the history of 38th Battalion that ‘ you could walk into almost any French home at night and there you would find an Australian soldier. Firm friendships were formed with large hearted townspeople and many men of the third division will often look back with pleasure to the days of Armentieres’.                                 (Source - The 38th Battalion A.I.F by Eric Fairey, Cambridge Press, Bendigo Adveriser 1920) 

 Two days before Christmas 1916, Frederick would be appointed as ‘Transport Officer’ for the battalion.  The 38th would spend their first Christmas day in France in the houses and barns around the town of Armentieres. 

During the harsh winter of 1916-17 the 3rd Division was heavily involved in raiding the German trenches in Northern France. In February 1917 the 38th Battalion provided 400 troops, with a similar party from the 37th Battalion, to form a special raiding "battalion". After several weeks of training this force staged a successful single 35-minute raid on the night of 27 February.  (Source - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51478 )

Despite the success of these raids, the 38th would suffer loses in the Officer and ordinary ranks. Frederick is promoted to Lieutenant in the Field in March, 1917 however, he is hospitalized two months later on May 12, 1917. He rejoins his unit from hospital on May 20, being transferred to a staff role in the office of 38th Battalion.  

He would stay in a staff role throughout 1917 as the 38th fought in its first major battle at Messines, in Belgium, between 7-9 June 1917 and then another two major attacks in this sector - the battle of Broodseinde on 4 October, and the  battle of Passchendaele on 12 October. Broodseinde was a success, reflecting careful planning and preparation, but the 38th still suffered 29 per cent casualties. Passchendaele, however, was a disaster, executed in haste amidst horrendous conditions brought on by torrential rain. It was the 38th's most costly operation of the war, resulting in 62 per cent casualties. 

In October 1917, Frederick’s work in the Battalion is rewarded when he recommended to be ‘Mentioned in Dispatches’ (MID) by Brigadier General Walter Ramsey McNicoll who was Officer in charge of the 10th Brigade within the Third Divison.                                             “Lieut. Langley has had charge of the Battalion Transport since the Battalion arrived in FRANCE in November 1916, and by his knowledge and ability has kept it in a high state of effiency. He has devoted himself whole-heartedly to his duties, and has inspired those under him to a similar devotion”.

This recommendation is then passed up the chain of command to the highest office of the British and Commonwealth command to Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig on November 7, 1917 who would submit names deserving mention. Later published in the London Gazette on December 28 Haig's mention states “ For distinguished and Gallant service and devotion to duty during the period February 26 through to September 20, 1917.                                                        (Source - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1521899 )

On receiving this honour and in recognition for his work, Frederick is granted three days leave to Paris returning on January 11, 1918 and then again later in the month of January 1918 granted two weeks leave to England.

On returning to France, Frederick would find the pace and the nature of the war about to change dramatically. The 38th Battalion as part of the total AIF effort under the command of Major General Sir John Monash are rushed south to France in late March 1918 to meet the German Army's Spring Offensive. The Allies launched their own offensive on 8 August 1918, but the 38th was in reserve on this day and did not play an active role.                                             (Source - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51478)

When the Allies launch their Hundred Days offensive, the 38th Battalion as part of the 10th brigade was subsequently committed to the Allied advance through the Somme Valley, taking part in actions at Proyart, Bray and Clery.  Shortly before the end of the war, due to heavy casualties amongst the AIF in 1918, the brigade's establishment was reduced to three infantry battalions as one—the 37th—was disbanded in September in order to reinforce the other battalions. This was due to widespread manpower shortages in the AIF as a result of the high number of casualties suffered during the Hundred Days Offensive.                                                  (Source – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10th_Brigade_(Australia)  

The 38th participated in its last major action of the war between 29 September and 2 October 1918 as part of the Australian-American operation that breached the formidable defences of the Hindenburg Line along the St Quentin Canal.                                               (Source - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51478)

Frederick was granted leave on September 22, 1918 to return to England rejoining the unit on October 12, 1918 to see the German surrender and signing of the Armistice the following month.

With the war over, Frederick would remain with the 38th battalion throughout another winter in France being granted two weeks leave to Paris in early February.

Following this, Frederick has obviously impressed those in higher ranks when he is given the opportunity to travel to London for nearly three months on full pay and sub to observe the House of Commons Parliamentary procedure.  During this period, his father Bishop Langley back in Bendigo would be advised by telegram that Frederick would be issued with a Commission by the British War office as Second Lieutenant in the regular forces of the British Army.

Following this experience, Frederick would join Brigadier General Walter Ramsey McNicoll of the 10th Brigade and embark for home on board HT Aeneas leaving May 31, arriving back in Australia on July 12, 1919. His appointment as an Officer in the A.I.F would be terminated on August 28, 1919. 

Lieutenant Frederick Barker Langley is remembered by the people of White Hills. The names of the local lads who sacrificed their lives and those that were fortunate to return from the Great War are shown on the embossed copper plaques on the White Hills Arch of Triumph, at the entrance to the White Hills Botanic Gardens.