Mr. and Mrs. George Langford

The son of the Late George B. and Hazel (West) Langford of Kent Bridge, Kent Co., ON.  George graduated from Osgoode Hall in 1941 and was called to the bar that same year. He practised law with Bedford and Beardall in Chatham.

He was a member of the Second Kents. He went active service in 1942 joining the Canadian Artilery. He went to England in September of 1944 and transferred from artillery to infantry as a reinforcement officer. After a short refresher course he was sent to Holland with the Calgary Highlanders where he was when wounded.

One summer when he was home from his studies he met Mary McCorvie. Mary always said she could not recall the first time they met, leading Kenneth to believe he didn’t make much of an impression. The CDN 17/03/43 reported at Ipperwash was on a furlough with his mother Mrs. Hazel Langford.  It was however reported (paper unknown) 18/12/43 that Lieut. George Kenneth Langford married Mary McCorvie of Chatham. At the time of the wedding George was stationed at Petawawa.  The CDN 21/12/43 reported that the Langford’s had spent their honeymoon  in New York City. 

The CDN 8/03/44 a cable to his wife reported that Lieut Langford had arrived overseas. He was also enlisted to the Kent Regt. and went active in August of 1942. He went to England in September of 1944 and transferred from artillery to infantry. After a short refresher course he was sent to Holland with the Calgary Highlanders where he was when wounded.

The Calgay Highlanders were entangled in a battle at the village of Wyler on the border of Holland and Germany. They were successful in securing the village which aided in the final defeat of Germany. However, during the battle Ken was hit by mortor fire and sustained a spinal cord injury. Had it not been for six German soldiers, who were in the process of surrendering and seeing Ken alone and dying carried him off the battlefield and carried him to a Allied field medical station. From there Ken was transferred to a convent hospital in Nijmegen, Holland. Prior to 1945 a spinal cord injury had only a 10% chance of recovery. The hospital was short on antibiotics so offered Ken scotch he would later remark “The scotch treatment was far better than being turned into a pin cushion.”

Lieut. reported wounded. His wife reported in an [unidentified newspaper article] that her husband had been removed from the ‘dangerously ill’ list to the ‘seriously ill’ list and also indicated that he was “progressing favorably”. His wounds to the face, chest and spine the second cable only referenced the injuries to his spine, caused by shrapnel fragments. After being stabilised, Ken was sent to Toronto for rehabilitation first at the Christie Street Hospital and from there to the new government-owned institution at Lyndhurst Lodge. 

Reported living at 516 King St. West, Chatham, ON. when he was discharged from military service in August, 1945. CDN 21/08/45

 Lyndhurst Lodge was a ‘stepping stone for injured vets to re-establish  themselves back into the community. Ken like the Lyndhurst philosophy along with the founder John Counsell. Ken started to work with the Canadian Paraplegic Association (CPA) in it’s offices at the old Maple Leaf Gardens, thank to Conn Smythe who managed the ‘Gardens’.

After the war the federal government sold the equipment to the CPA for $1.00. Many CPA meeting were held at the Langford’s home some small some up to 25 gusts Mary had it “down to a science after about five years” said their son Ken jr. – their olny child. (Kenneth W.) 

By 1946 Ken was the CPA’s General Secretary and by 1967 he was the Managing Director. He helped found the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association. He retired in 1977. 

Mary passed away in 2006 and Ken 8 May, 2008 at Toronto, ON.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Sources

CDN (21-08-1945), CLFA, CCI-RH, S. Pickard – email 12/12/17 [Spinal Cord Injury Ontario - website]

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