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
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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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