PROMOTING THE HISTORY AND ARCHIVES OF MT COMPASS
Langley, Wilf
Wilfred George Langley
Wilf, as he was known, was born at Finniss on 21st July 1916 to George Langley & Martha Annie (also known as Annie Martha) Langley (nee Wehrmann). He was a twin brother to Vernon Ronald (Vern) who also enlisted during WW2. Wilf had one other brother, Albert and three sisters - Sylvia, Eileen and Hilma. His sister Eileen married Charlie Hynd, who is also on the Nangkita-Mt Compass Honour Roll.
He attended Mt Compass School from 1926 to 1929 when he left as an overage student (aged 14), having previously attended Mypolonga School. Wilfred had recalled his time at school here with his family, recounting how he would ride from Tooperang to school on a horse which would be pastured nearby, allowing him to ride home r.
A single man, his occupation at the time of enlisting (March 1941) was “General Farm Work”. He was recorded as living at Kuitpo Colony and as being of the Methodist religion, with fair hair and blue eyes. His employer at the time was PB Angus Parsons, who owned one of the largest properties in the district.
He was placed in the Australian Army Ordnance Corps as a mechanic following a trade test which stated that he “should make a good mechanic with training.”
By April 1942 he was noted as being on “restricted occupation” and 3 months later was living at Prospect, where he received a letter instructing that his clothing and equipment should be returned.
He then served in the Merchant Navy for three to four years, working on ships running up the east coast taking supplies to Darwin. (During the war, his motorbike was requisitioned for the war effort. Wilf would later travel to Darwin to retrieve this bike - although it had gained many scratches and a coat of green army paint.)
Following the war, he returned to farm work in Yankalilla. He held a variety of jobs over the coming years with his final job being at the Islington Railway Workshops.
Wilf married Dorothy (Dot) Lillian Kohler on 3rd November 1945 at Scotts Church on North Terrace. They had one child, Donald born in 1947.
Wilfred died on 26th September 1983, while Dot passed away on 2nd December 2006.
References: Don Langley, NAA Service Records, Wehrmann Family Tree, Wikitree
