The Langham Collection of Medals to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps

David Langham

David Langham has been a collector of medals for over 20 years, his interest being primarily medals to the Army Ordnance Corps and those groups that offered research possibilities.

I first met David about 15 years ago when he was posted to the U.K. on final demobilisation leave. He had joined the Royal Engineers as a combat engineer but, after an accident impaired his hearing, transferred to the R.A.O.C. David spent his last six weeks in the Army cataloguing the archives of the R.A.O.C. museum depot -a job which gave him great pleasure as it allowed him to do the thing he liked best, researching the man behind the medal.

After leaving the Army, David got a job as Assistant Secretary, and later Secretary, of the National Army Museum. This position allowed him to spend many a lunch hour browsing in the vast library of that institution. He was particularly interested in trying to obtain a photograph of a medal recipient and was very successful in this. He was also ever-willing to help a fellow collector and quite a few have now got a picture of the man to go with his medal.

Medals were not the only thing that interested David-he was particularly keen on shooting and spent much time in the New Forest; but unfortunately ill health has now curtailed this hobby as well as medal collecting. He hopes that by offering his collection at auction other collectors will get as much pleasure from the medals as he did. He is however keeping one group -The South Atlantic Medal and LS & GC that were awarded to himself!

R.M.D