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Buller-R-L-Sub-Lt

Page history last edited by Lenore Frost 8 years ago

Volunteers of Essendon and Flemington, 1914-1918

 

This informal portrait of officers of the 1st Royal Australian Navy Bridging Train includes Lt Reginald

Buller seated front right. Australian War Memorial Collection http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/A01267

 

Buller, R L            Mid.        Reginald Langdon                Aust Naval & Mil                       

Address:    Moonee Ponds, Chester St, 2   

Embarked:   Aug-Sep 1914

 

Although no embarkation roll seems to have been prepared for the first Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force that went to German New Guinea, Buller's name (as "Fuller") and address appeared in a list published in The Argus on 14 September 1914.

GERMAN NEW GUINEA. (1914, September 14). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 7. Retrieved March 3, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10806307

 

Buller R L   Sub Lt    Reginald Langdon    1 RAN Bridging Train    21    Civil servant    Single    C of E

Address:    Geelong, Customs House    

Next of Kin:    Buller, M G, Mrs, Customs House, Geelong    

Enlisted:    10 May 1915        

Embarked:     A39 Port Macquarie 4 June 1915    

Awards:  Mentioned in Despatches

http://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/R1521371/

 

Relatives on Active Service:

Spence-J-L-2nd-Air-Mechanic-2760  future brother-in-law

McKaige E C Sgt 291 future brother-in-law

 

Engaged

Miss Jean Spence, only daughter of Mr and Mrs T. Spence, of "Eulah," Addison street, Moonee Ponds, to Sub-Lieutenant R. L. Buller, R.A.N.R., only son of Mr and Mrs F. T. Buller, Customs House, Geelong.

 

THE SOCIAL CIRCLE. (1915, June 5). Weekly Times (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 9.  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article121127621

 

Mentioned in these publications:

A Family of Farmers: a history of the Leitch Family 1836-1989 by Duncan Burrows

Reginald Langdon Buller, by Greg Swindon

 

See also

The Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force - First to Fight, 1914   Royal Australian Navy

http://www.navy.gov.au/history/feature-histories/1st-royal-australian-naval-bridging-train 

 

Margaret Bird said of her father, Reginald Langdon Buller, that "I think that he was born with a love of the sea and ships, and his boyhood dream was to go to sea under sail, an ambition firmly discouraged by his father.  He yielded to pressure and joined the Public Service, which he detested.  All his independence, drive and ambition were thwarted in a sedentary clerical job".  The outbreak of WW1 provided his escape.  He joined the Navy, and as a midshipman was a member of the 1914 landing party in German New Guinea, where he was Mentioned-in-Despatches.   Later he served at Gallipoli and on his return to Australia was appointed to HMAS Torrens." (p 333).

 

St Thomas' Parish Magazine April 1915  St Thomas' Grammar

Essendon Gazette 22 July 1915 photo collected by school

 

The Australian War Memorial Collection includes Midshipman Reginald Langdon Buller's bible, which was "used by the Australian naval forces at the "swearing in" ceremony of the German civilians taking the oath of neutrality following the surrender of the German territories in New Guinea, September 1914. Midshipman Buller later served with the RAN Bridging Train at Gallipoli". PR00154

 

Group portrait of Australian Navy and Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF) Officers at German

New Guinea. Sub Lt Reginald Buller is standing third from the right, slightly behind the standing

officer in the white jacket.  Australian War Memorial Collection: http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/A02241

 

Herbertshohe, New Britain.  circa 1915.  Group portrait of naval officers of the Australian Naval and

Military Expeditionary Force to German New Guinea. R L Buller is seated in the front row fifth from

the left, and C M Cock of Moonee Ponds is sixth  from the left.  Australian War Memorial Collection. http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/P01640.001

 

After the war Reginald Buller applied for a loan to take up a vineyard, in partnership with another ex-naval officer, and became a vigneron.

 

 

War Service Commemorated                                                                

Essendon Town Hall A-F

Essendon State School                                                                    

St James Church of England, Moonee Ponds           

St Thomas' Anglican Church  NAVY                

St Thomas' Grammar & Carlton College                            

Essendon Gazette Roll of Honour With the Colours                        

Welcome Home 7 Nov 1918 

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