Harold Stephen Langhorne facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brigadier-General Harold Stephen Langhorne CB CMG
Born	17 September 1866 Tonbridge, Kent
Died	26 June 1932 Barnwood, Gloucester
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1885–
Unit	Royal Artillery
Battles/wars	Second Boer War First World War

Harold Stephen Langhorne (born September 17, 1866 – died June 26, 1932) was a high-ranking officer in the British Army. He was a Brigadier-General in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. His military career took him to many places, including India, Burma, Hong Kong, South Africa, and France.

Early Life and Education

Harold Stephen Langhorne was born in Tonbridge, Kent. His father, Reverend John Langhorne, was the headmaster of King's School, Rochester. His mother was Henrietta Long.

Harold went to Tonbridge School and then to the King's School, Rochester. After that, he attended the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in London. This academy trained officers for the Artillery and Engineers. He joined the Royal Artillery in 1885 and was serving in India by 1890.

Family and Marriage

Henrietta Langhorne, Harold's mother

Harold had several brothers. His brother John became a principal of an institution in Edinburgh. Two of his half-brothers, Algernon Philip Yorke Langhorne and James Archibald Dunboyne Langhorne, also became senior army officers.

Harold met his future wife, Amy Helen Francis Hadow, in India. He had fallen from his horse during a polo match. While recovering, he was seated next to her and her father, Major General Frederick Edward Hadow. Harold and Amy married in Allahabad, India, on December 28, 1891. Amy was born in India on December 21, 1867.

Amy Helen Francis Hadow, Harold's wife

Harold and Amy had five children:

• Francis Harold Langhorne (born 1892 in India). He moved to Canada and joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1914. Sadly, he was killed in action in France during the First World War in September 1918.

Francis Harold Langhorne (aged 14)

• Ursula Margaret (Peggy) Langhorne (born 1894 in Kent).
• Edward Walter Langhorne (born 1900 in Hong Kong). He joined the Royal Artillery and served in Mesopotamia and India. Later, he worked in oil extraction in Trinidad and Nigeria.

Edward Walter Langhorne in the Royal Artillery

• Hilda Mary Langhorne (born 1901 in Canterbury). She lived with her parents in Egypt. During The Blitz in World War II, she worked as an ambulance driver in London. For her service, she received the Defence Medal.

Hilda Mary Langhorne (1901 - 1999)

• Elizabeth Langhorne (born 1911 in London). She attended Cheltenham Ladies College and then St Hilda's College, Oxford. She was a very bright student and won several scholarships for her studies in history. She later became a lecturer in history.

Military Career and Later Life

Harold Langhorne's military career saw him rise through the ranks in the Royal Artillery. He became a Captain in 1895, a Major in 1904, a Lieutenant-Colonel in 1907, and a Colonel in 1914. He specialized in ordnance, which means he was in charge of military supplies like weapons and ammunition.

He served in various places, including Madras (India) and Hong Kong, where he supervised munitions around 1900. After the Second Boer War, he was sent to South Africa.

Before and during the early part of the First World War, he worked at the Royal Army Clothing Depot in London. His daughter, Elizabeth, described his job as being like a factory manager. He was responsible for making all the clothing for the British Army, from boots to uniforms. As the war continued, the demand for supplies grew, and he had to organize production in much larger places like Olympia and the White City.

Later in the war, he was sent to Salonika in the East Mediterranean. This was likely to help with supplies for military operations in places like Palestine and Cairo.

A sad moment for Harold came on September 29, 1918. His oldest son, Francis Harold Langhorne, was killed in action in northern France. After the war, Harold visited his son's grave and arranged for a special message to be added.

In 1919, Harold went to Cairo as the Deputy Director of Ordnance Supplies for General Edmund Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby. He was based outside Cairo and traveled for his work. In 1924, he retired from the army and moved to Gloucestershire, where he enjoyed gardening.

Outside of his military life, Harold was a keen sportsman. He played polo, cricket, and tennis. He also loved playing the piano, especially music by Sibelius and Debussy.

He received several important awards for his service: the Commander of the Order of the Bath (1915) and the Commander of Michael and George (1918).

Harold Stephen Langhorne passed away in Barnwood, Gloucester, England, on June 26, 1932, at the age of 65.

Memorial Plaque

Plaque for Harold Stephen Langhorne in Rochester Cathedral

A brass plaque was placed in his memory at Rochester Cathedral. It honors him as "Brig General Harold Stephen Langhorne CB CMG Royal army ordnance corps. A Kings scholar 1879-1883. Died 26 June 1932 aged 65".