LANGFORD, Thomas Herbert
(Service number 3/1403)
| First Rank | Private | Last Rank | Private |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 1 June 1891 | Place of Birth | Christchurch, New Zealand |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | 24 November 1915 | Age | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | Winchester, New Zealand | ||
| Occupation | Storekeeper | ||
| Previous Military Experience | 8th South Canterbury Mounted Rifles | ||
| Marital Status | Single | ||
| Next of Kin | Mrs F.J. Langford (mother), Winchester | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | NZ Medical Corps | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | 1 NZ General Hospital | ||
| Date | 4 December 1915 | ||
| Transport | Hospital Ship Marama | ||
| Embarked From | Wellington, New Zealand | Destination | Suez, Egypt |
| Other Units Served With | 4 NZ Field Ambulance | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | NZ Medical Corps | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | Egyptian & Western Europe | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | British War Medal & Victory Medal | ||
Award Circumstances and Date
No information
Prisoner of War Information
| Date of Capture | |
|---|---|
| Where Captured and by Whom | |
| Actions Prior to Capture | |
| PoW Serial Number | |
| PoW Camps | |
| Days Interned | |
| Liberation Date |
Death
| Date | 29 December 1952 | Age | 61 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Timaru, New Zealand | ||
| Cause | |||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Bromley Cemetery Christchurch | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
Thomas, born in Christchurch 1 June 1891, was a self employed storekeeper in the village of Winchester. He enlisted at Geraldine on 24 November 1915. He gave as his next of kin his mother, Mrs F.J. Langford, also of Winchester. He was described as being single, aged 24, 5 foot 10 inches in height, 180 lbs weight, chest 34 ½ inches, having brown eyes, fair complexion and dark hair and being of the Anglican faith.
Thomas embarked as a Private with 4 NZ Field Ambulance on 4 December 1915, aboard the Hospital Ship Marama, and disembarked at Suez, Egypt, 11 January 1916. He had had previous military experience with the 8th South Canterbury Mounted Rifles. Thomas served overseas in Egypt and Western Europe with 1 NZ General Hospital, and 4 NZ Field Ambulance. On 20 July 1917, he was wounded in the left leg, back and scalp, by a high explosive shell. After treatment in the United Kingdom, he was returned to New Zealand, and received further treatment at Hanmer Hospital before being discharged on 28 March 1918. For his war service he was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In 1919, at Timaru, Thomas married Amy Aroua Connelly, and spent the rest of his life serving his community. In 1922 he stood for the Liberal Party in the Temuka Electorate, in 1928 for the United Party, in 1935 for the Labour Party but was not elected in any campaign. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1931, and later moved to Christchurch where he was employed as a Public Relations Officer for the Christchurch City Council. He helped the Aged Peoples Welfare Council considerably in conjunction with the Christchurch City Council Housing Committee, and when St Helen’s Hospital was converted to a rest home for the elderly, it was named “Langford House”.
Thomas died aged 61, in Timaru, on 29 December 1952, and is buried in the Bromley Cemetery Christchurch.
Sources
Auckland Museum Cenotaph database (June 2015); Archives NZ (Personal File); Ancestry.com.au; Christchurch City Council cemeteries database; Papers Past
External Links
Related Documents
No documents available.
Researched and Written by
Ted Hansen (SC branch NZSG)
Currently Assigned to
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