William Robert (Bill) Lang was born in 1890, and left school at 12, when his father died, to run the family farm. When war broke out, in 1914, he was already a member of a volunteer unit of the NZ army. Lots of people made the transition to expeditionary soldier swiftly. He ran into resistance when he tried to organise the farm for his absence. Several relatives tried to talk him out of it. It […]
Every year in Waipu, on New Years Day, there is a Highland Games. More Scottish than the Scots, the descendants of the big migrations celebrate their scottishness with a festival of bagpipes, highland dancing, tossing the caber, throwing the wheatsheaf, etc. etc. It’s also often a family reunion, as the family who have left come back for summer at the Beach, and to see each other. In 1933, on New Year’s Day, one such […]
Lieutenant Colonel William Lang O.B.E., M.C. served in Europe in WW1, where he was awarded the Military Cross[1], and in the Home Guard in WW2. His service records are here. His MC citation is as follows: Awarded military cross for acts of gallantry in the field (NZEFOs 419) (HQrs Lon 31.10.17) Awarded MC for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He took command of his Coy in an attack, when he was the only surviving officer, and […]
This is a list of all the references to to William Robert Lang in the NZ Gazette 4/3/15 | GAZ 33 | 11th (North Auckland) Mounted Rifles | Sergeant Major William Robert Lang to be 2nd Lieutenant (on probation) supernumerary to establishment dated 11th February 1915 #5 20th JAN 1916 | H.E. the G has been pleased to approve of the following appointments of Officers to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (9th Reinforcements) with the […]