Pte Sidney Joseph Stanley Northants Reg No. 13468

[nigatt]

Dear Friends

I would be greatful for any further information on Pte Sidney Joseph Stanley. He served in the Northamptsonshire Regiment and his number was 13468. He was served in France from 20 October 1915 and died on 17 August 1916.

Other than his MIC there is no other entry on Ancestry that I can find.

Would it be possible to identify his battalion from his regimental number? Can it be ascertained how he died?

with thanks in anticipation.

[Stebie9173]

Hello Nigel.

Sidney Jospeh Stanley enlisted in the first few days of September 1914 and started his training with the 6th battalion of the Northamptons. He was in "A" Company of the 6th Battalion, as his name appears on a list of those granted furlough from "A" Company from 30-12-1914 to 6-1915 per 6th Bn Part II Orders dated 29-12-1914. For some reason he did not go to France with the main contingent of the 6th battalion on 26-7-1915 but instead embarked to France on 20-10-1915, undoubtedly as a reinforcement for 7th battalion after their losses at Loos (7th Bn. per BWM/VM Roll). He was reported as Wounded as a Private per the Times of 20-9-1916, but this report was later revised to "Wounded and Missing" per the Times of 9-11-1916.

CWGC / SDGW records him as Killed in action as a Private with 7th Bn., age 21, on 17-8-1916. I suspect that his was one of the bodies never found. The 7th Battalion were in action at Guillemont. I shall try and post an extract or two in a while. I'll also have a look to see if his death was noted in the local papers.

Pte. Stanley's Service Record will not be online yet regardless of whether it exists online since the "S" WO363 records have not yet been uploaded.

He was from Finedon and is remembered on Finedon War memorial:

http://www.finedon-war-memorial.org.uk/ind...es/page0002.htm

Steve.

[nigatt]

Dear Steve

Wow fantastic thank you!! Sidney was my great aunt's brother-in-law. She lived in Finedon we still relatives in the area. Could you please let me what BWM/VM and CWGC/SDGW stands for? Nay further infromation very gratefully received

[Howarth1918]

Hi Nigel,

BWM/VM = British War Medal and Victory Medal (two of the service medals awarded during WW1)

SDGW = Soldiers Died in the Great War (a compiled list)

CWGC = Commonwealth War Graves Commission (a non-profit org dedicated to paying tribute to those people who died in the First and Second World War)

Craig...

[Stebie9173]

Sorry - abbreviation-itis is a common ailment on this Forum....

BWM/VM = British War Medal and Victory Medal. In this case I was referring to the Medal Roll (ledger book) for the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

CWGC/SDGW = Commonwealth War Graves Committe (referring to his entry on their website) and Soldiers Died in the Great Qar (a 1920s publication attempting to list every man killed during the war, and listed by Regiment).

Steve.

[Stebie9173]

Nigel,

I've started checking through my later alphabet service records that have just been uploaded to Ancestry. Sidney Stanley's service records is one of those that has survived. It is now online.

And he did indeed train with 6th Bn. in the UK and transfer to the 7th to go overseas later in 1915.

Steve.

[Jim Hastings]

A belated thank you too Steve, he turns out to be my nan's cousin too! 

His cousin 18382 George Ernest Stanley of 6th Northants is on Thiepval too, killed on 13th or 14th July 1916

Cheers 

Jim