Person Page - 196

Charles John Lang was born in Auckland on 22 August 1856.²

He married Willina Johanna McKay in Waipu on 20 August 1885.^1,3,4

Charles died on 4 February 1904 in Waipu at age 47.^1,5

Donald Wilson Lang was born in Lang's Beach, Northland, on 3 March 1933. He was the youngest of six children, Margaret (who died in infancy), Hector, Anne, Mary, Ian and Donald.²

At the end of his time at Waipu primary school he won a scholarship to Kings College Auckland for secondary education. Kings fostered his maths/science interests, and he became dux of the school. At University he achieved an honours degree in mathematics, followed by one in Physics.

He then went to the Australian National University in Canberra, and graduated with a PhD in theoretical physics. After a year in Auckland lecturing he took a post graduate position at the Bartol research institute in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, then moved to the Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago, also in theoretical physics.²

After a year teaching first year physics in Kansas, followed by his wedding, he moved to the Harwell Research Establishment in England, but as his one year appointment was not renewed, he moved back to teaching in Kansas. Two years later the family moved back to Swarthmore, where he taught first year physics at Penn State University.

The final move was to a position at the Lucas heights Research Establishment in Sydney.²

Donald died on 14 May 2019 in Sydney, New South Wales, at age 86.²

Horace Russell Lang was born in New Zealand in 1898. He was the son of John and Sarah Elizabeth Agnes LANG.²

He married Sarah Elizabeth Hansen, daughter of Lars Hansen and Mary Ann Hastie, in New Zealand in 1923.³

Horace died on 10 July 1967 in Auckland.^4,5 He was buried on 12 July 1967 at the Hautapu Cemetery, Victoria Rd in Tamahere.⁵

William Robert Lang was born in Waipu on 23 May 1890.^1,2

He married Edith Emily McKenzie in New Zealand on 24 January 1924.^1,3,4

William died on 27 October 1970 in Whangarei, Northland, at age 80.^1,5 He was buried at the Waipu Cemetery in Waipu.

John Gordon Langdon was born in Bridgend, Glamorganshire, on 17 February 1915.^2,3

He married Ann Goodwin, daughter of Richard Arthur Goodwin and Mary Scott Fergusson, in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, between July 1940 and September 1940.¹
He served in the Royal Artillery during WWII (81 Battery, 25 Light A/A Regt, 50th Div, #1488410) having enlisted on 9 Sep 1939.

He was captured near Gazala (near Tobruk) on 1 Jun 1942 and imprisoned in Italy in Camp 65 at Gravina. A hole in the fence at the camp, through which he had intended to escape, was discovered in Mar 1943 before it could be used. On 30 Apr he managed to escape by slipping away from a working party and hid in a house until nightfall, when he started walking across country. On the third day he was forced to give himself up when Italians, who had given him food, followed and fired at him. On being returned to Camp 65 he was given 11 days detention.

At the time of the Italian Armistice he was in Camp 52 (Chiavari in the province of Genoa) which was occupied by the Germans on 9 Sep 1943 and the PoWs evacuated to Germany. They were transported by train but the lack of wire over the ventilator gave him the opportunity to escape again as the train was rounding a bend with two other PoWs. He then made his way independently from Bardi and returned to Camp 52. Here he obtained civilian clothes and stayed at a Resistance Group Headquarters near Cavi until the beginning of Nov 1943. Along with another Sergeant they made their way into France, arriving in Nice on 12 Nov, where they found "friends".

In Mar 1944, he joined the FFI (Free French Intelligence?) and instructed the Resistance Party in Beaumont la Bastille and Mirabea in the use of small arms and the barricading of roads. On one occasion, being forwarned that the Germans were coming to search the farm, he and six other men moved six tons of small arms 500 yards into the nearby woods. The Germans arrived an hour and a half later and found nothing.

He was interviewed on 25 May 1944 by MI5 and confirmed as an "Agent" on 30 May 1944. At the time of interview it was noted that he was "now working in France".

When the invasion of southern France took place on 16 Aug 1944, he distributed arms to Resistance members in his area. He then helped them building and erecting road blocks in the villages and on the main roads. On 25 Aug 1944 he met the first American reconnaissance unit, acted as a guide to German positions and assisted in taking the town of Apt. In Sep. he followed the Americans through Lyons to Besancon and then travelled back to Dijon. He then travelled by car to Paris where he reported to British Headquarters on 15 Sep 1944.

Note: this file (WO 373/64/694) was de-classified 17 June 2014 after 70 years; also linked to Special Operations Executive (SOE) file HS 9/883/6
.³

John died on 21 November 1973 in Camberley, Surrey, at age 58.⁴

His will was probated in Winchester on 10 January 1974 with an estate of £27490.⁴

Ethel Mary Larkin was born in Hackney, London, Middlesex, on 1 February 1895. She was the daughter of George Henry LARKIN and Mary STRELITZ of 47 Glyn Rd, Homerton; he was a clerk.^3,4,2 She was baptised at St Johns in Hackney, London, Middlesex, on 10 March 1895.²
She was listed in the 1901 census at 19 Markhouse Ave in Walthamstow, Essex, with her widowed mother (aged 32) and brother Cresswell (aged 2). Her mother and brother's surname was Beard, meaning her mother must have been widowed twice.⁵
She was listed in the 1911 census at 51 Bentham Rd in Hackney St John, London, Middlesex, and was working as a clerk at an account book manufacturer.⁶

Ethel was present at the wedding of Sydney Ernest Wicks and Rose Emmeline Rust at Tanners End Mission Hall, Stalham Grove in Edmonton, Middlesex, on 22 May 1915.⁷

She married Albert Frederick Rust, son of Harold George Rust and Emma Elizabeth Ellen Snow, at Cassland Road Wesleyan Chapel in Hackney, London, Middlesex, on 24 July 1920. He was a gold-blocker and they had been near neighbours in Bruthen Rd, Sth Hackmey.^1,8
She was listed as the daughter-in-law of Harold George Rust in the 1921 Census at 6 Sheldon Rd in Edmonton, Middlesex.⁹

She was listed in the 1939 Register at 126 Tudor Ave in Sutton, Surrey, with Albert Frederick Rust; he was a book-finisher. Joan Rust was listed as living at the same address.⁴

Ethel's death was registered between July 1960 and September 1960 in Surrey.¹⁰

Graeme Dessiou Lash was born in Hastings, Hawkes Bay, on 31 October 1953.¹

He worked as a Chartered Accountant.¹

Graeme died on 7 November 1987 in Mount Hagen at age 34.^1,2 He was buried on 21 November 1987 at the Fairhall Cemetery, 720/630 New Renwick Road in Blenheim.^2,1

Max Dessiou Lash was born in New Zealand on 13 February 1927.^1,2

He married Audrey Jean Campbell, daughter of Archibald Campbell and Ada May Blomfield Macdonald, in New Zealand on 20 December 1952.³

Max died in January 2012 in New Zealand at age 84.^1,4

Dorothy May Law was born in Dunedin?, Otago, on 10 December 1899.¹

She married Julius Herbert Fulton in Waimate, Canterbury, on 19 March 1930.²

She was widowed at age 73 on the death of her husband Julius on 20 May 1973.^3,4

Dorothy died on 19 July 1973 at of 8 Claremont St in Dunedin, Otago, at age 73.^3,5 She was cremated on 20 July 1973.⁶

James Alexander Law was born at 'Woodside' in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, on 20 June 1861. He was the son of Henderson LAW and Elizabeth MATHER (m. Leeds 16 Apr 1857) and his father described himself as an 'Australian merchant.^1,2'

He married Charlotte Blomfield (Lotta) Macdonald, daughter of Thomas Morell Macdonald and Charlotte Clements Forsaith, in New Zealand in 1896.^3,4

James died on 11 April 1901 in Dunedin, Otago, at age 39.^1,5 He was buried on 13 April 1901 at the Southern Cemetery.⁶