The Wartime Memories Project - The Great War

L/Cpl. William Henry Langan British Army 8th Btn. Gloucestershire Regiment


Great War>


This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site you agree to accept cookies.


If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.



    Site Home

    Great War Home

    Search

    Add Stories & Photos

    Library

    Help & FAQs

 Features

    Allied Army

    Day by Day

    RFC & RAF

    Prisoners of War

    War at Sea

    Training for War

    The Battles

    Those Who Served

    Hospitals

    Civilian Service

    Women at War

    The War Effort

    Central Powers Army

    Central Powers Navy

    Imperial Air Service

    Library

    World War Two

 Submissions

    Add Stories & Photos

    Time Capsule

 Information

    Help & FAQs



    Glossary

    Our Facebook Page

    Volunteering

    News

    Events

    Contact us

    Great War Books

    About


Advertisements

World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

258585

L/Cpl. William Henry Langan

British Army 8th Btn. Gloucestershire Regiment

from:Nechells, Birmingham

(d.3rd July 1916)

William Langan was my great grandfather and I have letters relating to his death at the Battle of Albert on 3rd July 1916.

The text of those letters follows:

France July 7th 1916

Dear Mrs Langan, I regret to have to inform you that your husband was wounded on July 3rd at La Boisselle. The Regiment was taking part in a successful attack on the German trenches when he was hit. The wound is not a serious one and you will probably hear from him very shortly that he is in hospital and going on nicely.

Yours Faithfully B. B. Vincent 8th Gloucesters Infantry Record Office No 7 District Warwick

July 9th 1916

Dear Mrs Langan, Just a few lines to express to you the sympathy of myself and my comrades, we were all very sorry when your husband was wounded as he was well liked and was always a good comrade. I am returning to you the letters that have come, as I did not know his address and it would be a long time before they reached him. We took the cigarettes you sent and shared them amongst the boys, as we would not send them back. I hope he is going on alright, and please ask him to drop us a card sometimes to let us know how he is going on as all the boys would like to know. Please remember us all to him.

Yours Sincerely, Cpl. D. W. Summers, Infantry Record Office No 7 District Warwick.

18th August 1916 With reference to your letter of the 17th xxxxxxxxxx asking for news of L/Cpl WH Langan. I have made enquiries everywhere but nothing definite can be found. He was hit in La Boisselle whilst one Coy (Company?) was in action on the morning of the third. His wound was clean through the left shoulder just above the left breast. This was xxxxx and he started to walk back to the dressing station with the other walking cases. Since then nothing has been heard or seen of him, however, if by any chance I manage to obtain further news I'll let you know immediately. So that Mrs Langan may not be left in suspense.

H. W. N. Edwards D. C. Coy Infantry Record Office No 7 District Warwick.

Army Form B. 104/82A. Infantry Record Office Warwick Station June 6th 1917

Sir, It is my painful duty to inform you that no further news having been received relative to (No.) 11257 (Rank) L/Cpl (Name) William Henry Langan (Regiment) Gloucestershire Regt. who has been missing since July 3rd 1916, the Army Council have been regretfully constrained to conclude that he is dead, and that his death took place on the 3rd July 1916 (or since). I am to express to you the sympathy of the Army Council with you in your loss. Any articles of private property left by missing soldiers which are found are forwarded to this Office, but they cannot be disposed of until authority is received from the War Office. Application regarding the disposal of any such personal effects, or of any amount that may eventually be found to be due to the late soldier's estate, should be addressed to The Secretary, War Office, London, S.W. and marked outside, Effects. I am, SIR, Your obedient Servant,

W. Gaunt Lieut. for Br. General, i/c Infantry Records, No. 7 DISTRICT. Officer in Charge of Records.

SUBJECT: Graves Old Barracks, Warwick 19 DEC 1917

From The Brigadier General In Charge, Infantry Records, No. 7 District.

Mrs E. Langan 3 back of 89, Cromwell St. Nechells Birmingham

I beg to inform you of the following particulars of the place of interment of the remains of the late No. 11257 W. H. Langan Gloucestershire Regt. who was killed in action with the Expeditionary Force, France on or since 3rd of July 1916 Buried La Boiselle. N.E. Albert W. Farmfield For Brigadier General, i/c Infantry Records, No 7 District.









Related Content:







Can you help us to add to our records?

The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them


Did your relative live through the Great War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial?

If so please let us know.

Do you know the location of a Great War "Roll of Honour?"

We are very keen to track down these often forgotten documents and obtain photographs and transcriptions of the names recorded so that they will be available for all to remember.

Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice.




Celebrate your own Family History

Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Great War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc.

Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.














The free section of The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers.

This website is paid for out of our own pockets, library subscriptions and from donations made by visitors. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources and we currently have a huge backlog of submissions.

If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small to help with the costs of keeping the site running.


Hosted by:

The Wartime Memories Project Website

is archived for preservation by the British Library





Copyright MCMXCIX - MMXXIV
- All Rights Reserved -

We do not permit the use of any content from this website for the training of LLMs or for use in Generative AI, it also may not be scraped for the purpose of creating other websites.