Four military funerals took place from the Dunedin Hospital on Saturday and Sunday. Private James Langston (36 years), whose relatives reside in Caversham, was interred at the Southern Cemetery, the Rev. V. G. Bryan King officiating at the graveside, Private Wilfred Fitzgerald (29 years), a returned man who belonged to England, was buried at Anderson's Bay Cemetery; Private Rodger Heath (28 years), whose relatives reside at Karitane, was buried at Anderson's Bay , the Rev. R. Scott Allan officiating; Private Thomas Fraser (26 years), whose mother resides at Oamaru, was interred at Anderson's Bay, the Rev. Father Ardagh officiating. The two former were buried on Saturday and Privates Heath and Fraser yesterday. Major Fleming and Captain Myers represented the Headquarters' Staff at each of the funerals. -Otago Daily Times, 25/11/1918.
James joined the Otago Infantry Regiment in 1915 and was with the 2nd Battalion when it attacked German positions on September 15, 1916, in the Battle of the Somme.
"The weather broke fine on the morning of September 15th. Zero hour was fixed at 6.20 am., and by 6 o'clock all ranks had breakfasted and were fortified by a stout issue of rum. In order as far as possible to conceal from the enemy the hour of attack there was no increase of our artillery fire immediately before the assault was timed to commence. Shortly after 6 o'clock three distinct lines of troops of the 2nd Battalion of Otago, which in conjunction with the 2nd Battalion of Auckland was to open the New Zealand Division's attack, had formed up in front of the new Otago Trench at intervals in depth of about 50 yards, and a fourth line was in Otago Trench itself." OIR, Official History.
The Otagos advanced behind a strong artillery barrage and were soon being swept by enemy machine gun fire. They took their objective and were, in turn, shelled by German artillery. The 2nd Battalion suffered roughly a 50% casualty rate that day. James was found to be missing and was found the next day with bullet wounds in his thighs - whether caught by machine gun fire in the morning or some time later is not known.
In December, 1916, James is reported as being in the New Zealand hospital in England, Brockenhurst, and his condition to be improving. In September, 1917, James was one of a shipload of 232 men returning to New Zealand to recuperate or to be discharged due to their physical condition. He was formally discharged the next month. His funeral notice states that the procession left from Dunedin Hospital so it is probable that James was another victim of the Spanish influenza epidemic.
Southern Cemetery, Dunedin. DCC photo.
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