No.18332, Private, Edward Henry LANGLEY
Aged 24
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Born on 24th January 1892 at 6 Providence Place, Bury St.Edmunds (1st qtr Bury St.Edmunds 4a:772) son of Elijah Henry Osborn and Margaret LANGLEY(née REYNOLDS).
Baptised at St. Mary's, Bury St.Edmunds on 12th February 1892. His father has not been identified in any census
1901 census...Aged 9, he was at 3 Crowns Court, Southgate Street, Bury St Edmunds with his mother Margaret [39]; sister May [6]; brothers Thomas John [3] and Elijah [2 months]. All were born in Bury St.Edmunds 1911 census...Not found, possibly in the Army. At 3 Crown Court were his widowed mother; sister Florence (May) [16] and brother John (Thomas) [13] (farm boy). His mother had lost 4 of her 7 children. |
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He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds.
The 7th Suffolk were in the front line,prepared to attack BAYONET TRENCH and LUISENHOFF FARM, it was a quiet morning and by 5am the battalion was lying in shell holes in front, ready. Major Henty went to forward HQ in GRASS STREET to get reports at 10 am. At 2 pm the attack started, the German barrage was very intense. The battalion advanced in four waves, each company with a platoon front. No definite report was made until 6 pm when the battalion was back in front line, having failed to reach its objective. 'B' and 'D' Coys had reached their objective but were driven back by superior numbers. 1st Essex on the right gained their objective but were unable to hold it, finally they managed keep a part of it. The Battalion withdrew to Reserve in FLERS TRENCH. Lt Col Murphy, in his "History of the Suffolk Regiment" records that over 500 men became casualties, due in part to uncut wire and to an ineffective barrage . One officer had been buried twice before zero hour and all the officers that went over the top were casualties. CWGC puts the dead at 104.
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