H.M.S. Itonus

Australian War Memorial A01090

H.M.A.T Seang Bee

Newcastle Journal Saturday 08/05/1915

Arthur Langford was born Spittal, Berwick-on-Tweed, on the 9th September 1890, the 4th son of John Langford, 34 Cross Row, [Westmoor, Forest Hall] Killingworth, Newcastle, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Archibald Whitehead.

Arthur was educated at Blaydon and Gateshead Council schools.

He went to Australia on the 28th August 1914, and worked as a Miner there. He volunteered and joined the Commonwealth Expeditionary Force on the 19th December 1914, and had enlisted at Liverpool, in New South Wales, Australia, on the 16th November 1914.

His physical description was described as 5 feet 9 inches tall, Blue eyes and Fair hair. Arthur was in the second wave of reinforcements and was allocated to the 4th Battalion.

In February, he embarked on H.M.A.T. Seang Bee at Sydney, on the 11th, for Egypt with his unit. He took part in the landing at GabaTepe, Gallipoli, on the 23rd April and died of wounds on the 28th April. His place of death was on-board H.M.S. Itonus, on the 28th April 1915, this date was confirmed by his service Casualty Form B103, which stated the 28th April 1915.

His mother Elizabeth Langford had wrote a letter, dated 8th November 1919, to the Australian Military Authorities enquiring about Arthur's personal effects. As by this time all they had received was his identity disc.

On the 18th March 1920. the Major in charge of Base records replied stating that "in view of the length of time that this has elapsed since his demise, it is considered improbable that any other articles will come to hand.".

A parcel had been sent by Thomas Cook and Son in January 1916 to the parents, but only contained his identity disc.

De Ruvigny Roll of Honour

The second photograph above shows the landing."Part of the 4th Battalion and the mules for the 26th (Jacob's) Indian Mountain Battery landing at 8 am. In the foreground is the staff of Colonel Henry Normand MacLaurin, 1st Infantry Brigade, of Sydney, who was killed in action on 27 April 1915. The officer with the rolled greatcoat over his shoulder is Major Francis Duncan Irvine, later Major Brigade Major, of Sydney, who was also killed on 27 April 1915. Nearer the water's edge (centre) is Captain Dennis Malcolm King, DSO, MC, Orderly Officer, later Major. The officer on the left, with his chinstrap down, is Lieutenant R G Hamilton, the Brigade Signal Officer. At the water's edge lies an Australian engineer, Sapper R Reynolds, the first to fall during the war. Transports can be seen in the background and two of the warships' steamboats are in the middle distance. The photograph was taken by Lance Corporal Arthur Robert Henry Joyner of 1st Division Signal Company, of Paddington NSW, who was later killed in action at Bazentin, France on the 4th December, 1916."

Arthur Langford is remembered in Killingworth on K9.01, and is also remembered in Australia on the Australian War Memorial

Australian World War 1 Records
The CWGC entry for Private Langford