John William Langford, Age 33

Private, 25404, 6th Battalion. King's Shropshire Light Infantry.

K.S.L.I Regiment Cap Badge.

John was the only son of Albert (a miner) and Mary of 22 Finger Rd, Dawley. William by trade was a China decorator at probably the Coalport China works. He enlisted at Ironbridge into the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, and after training at Pembroke Dock was posted to their 6th Battalion, which was attached to 60 Brigade, 20th (Light) Division, and moved to France on 22 July 1915.

The Division first moved to the Fleurbaix Sector for trench familiarisation and training. When the Battle of Loos was launched on 25 September 1915 the Division fought a diversionary attack towards Fromelles. Later that year they moved north, and fought at the Battle of Mount Sorrel alongside the Canadian Corps. They then fought through the Somme Offensive, at the Battles of Delville Wood, Guillemont, and Flers-Courcelette, and took part in the advance to the Hindenburg Line in March, 1917. Later that year they fought at Third Ypres; at the Battles of Langemarck, the Menin Road, and Polygon Wood, before moving south in November, to take part in the Battle of Cambrai.

On the 30th November 1917 during the Battle of Cambrai he was with his battalion in reserve when at 6.30 am a German barrage started to fall on the British Trenches on the Gonnelieu - St Quentin ridge the barrage had spread to other positions by 7.30am and this was followed by a German infantry attack in thick fog of between 8 to 12 waves, this forced the British back to the North and south east slopes of the Welsh Ridge.

At 9.00am the 6th KSLI moved forward to the Gonnelieu - St Quentin Ridge in two waves, but just after they had moved forward an order arrived cancelling the movement, but it was too late as ‘A’ & ‘D’ companies had already made contact with the Germans they had advanced on the right and left up the slope either side of a Quarry and had encountered heavy Machine Gun fire. ‘D’ company had captured 3 machine guns and a Lewis gun from the Germans and ‘A’ company had occupied the Quarry, it was decided to send ‘C’ Company forward with spare ammunition and ‘B’ Company were sent to the high ground near Gouzeaucourt Cemetery.

Just before dusk the Division was ordered to take up a line along the ridge between St Quentin and Gonnelieu and the 6th KSLI with this movement in mind was to work its way down the railway and turn left and work its way up the Ridge, all the movements by the division were met by heavy Machine Gun fire.

John was killed in action during these operations on the 30th November 1917 and his body is buried in Fifteen Ravine British Cemetery in Grave VIII.D.16

WWI Medal Rolls Index Card

Commonwealth War Graves
Buried Fifteen Ravine British Cemetery

***

Victory Medal	British War Medal