William Henry Lang (soldier)

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Lt. Col

William Henry Lang

OBE
Born27 February 1878
Ottery St Mary, Devon, England
Died27 December 1959
Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England
AllegianceFlag of the United Kingdom.svg British Empire
Service/branchFlag of the British Army.svg British Army
Years of service1914 - 1919
RankLieutenant Colonel
UnitRoyal Flying Corps
Commands heldRAF Kidbrooke
Battles/warsFirst World War
AwardsOrder of the British Empire (Military) Ribbon.svg Order of the British Empire
1914-15 Star ribbon.jpg 1914–15 Star
British War Medal BAR.svg British War Medal
Allied Victory Medal BAR.svg Victory Medal

Lieutenant Colonel William Henry Lang, OBE (27 February 1878 – 27 December 1959) was a British Army officer during the First World War.

Biography[]

Born in 1878 in Ottery St Mary, William Henry Lang was a Royal Air Force officer and recipient of the Order of the British Empire[1] during the First World War.

William Henry Lang moved to Woolwich in London in 1898 to work at the Royal Arsenal. While at the Royal Arsenal, William Henry Lang engaged in experimental work in connection with artillery equipment, along with facilitated repairs and assisted in the creation of general handbooks. Upon the outbreak of war in 1914, William Henry Lang was granted a commission into the British Army as a Lieutenant.[2][3]

Upon the formation of the Royal Flying Corps, William Henry Lang changed branches. After being posted in Candas in France, William Henry Lang was promoted to Major, and appointed as the Park Commander of the Greenwich Stores Depot in February 1917.[4] Later that year, William Henry Lang was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, and appointed as Depot Commander of RAF Kidbrooke. While in the Royal Flying Corps, William Henry Lang worked as a technical officer based on his specialised knowledge of wireless and photographic technologies along with technical knowledge of experimental guns and armaments.[5]

In 1919, William Henry Lang resigned his commission in the Royal Air Force and received the rank of Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year Honours List. During the Second World War, William Henry Lang was a Sergeant in the Special Constabulary in Aylesbury.

William Henry Lang died aged 81, in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England.[6]

References[]

  1. ^ "Page 73 | Issue 13378, 6 January 1919 | Edinburgh Gazette | The Gazette". www.thegazette.co.uk.
  2. ^ British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
  3. ^ https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1182909
  4. ^ "People index". www.airhistory.org.uk. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  5. ^ https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8282503
  6. ^ General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 6a; Page: 336
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