WW1

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Stansfield, Stanley Robert

Born 8^th June 1896 Franklin Tasmania the son of James Thomas and Marion Stansfield (nee Walton) a labourer who embarked Melbourne 27^th September 1915 on board “HMAT Hororata” with the 12^th Infantry Battalion. 

He was killed in action 4^th September 1916 at Moquet Farm and is commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.

HOW A FRANKLIN SOLDIER DIED

In reply to an enquiry by Mrs Stansfield of Franklin, regarding her son, Pte. S. R. Stansfield, the following letter written by Lieut D. Maxwell, has been received through the Agent General for Tasmania:—

Private S. R. Stansfield was in the attack on September 3rd. 1916 at a certain farm; On the afternoon of September 4^th at about 5.15 pm five of us were sitting behind the barricade of our left flank. The Germans were shelling that barricade, letting go with four guns. We started talking of various things in order to divert our minds from the act of listening to the shells. A few minutes later one dropped in. Two men were killed, and the one next one had his thigh badly fractured, well above the knee. I started to ligature it with a putee and looked up at Stansfield. He was sitting in the same place, a bit white, but smiling. 'How are you?'' I .asked 'I'm right; just a bit of a knock on the leg. You fix Pearson up.' he replied - Binding Pearson up took some minutes, and then I stepped across to Stansfield. His head had dropped forward and he was dead. I had to go back to reorganise another bomb team and a fatigue party for a new barricade on the next corner. When I returned everything of the old barricade had gone. The stretcher-bearers had removed Pearson and there was a possibility of them also having taken Stansfield. I had not had time to assure myself that he was dead, or I would have taken off his disc. He has not been reported from any hospital.

Huon Times 8^th May 1917

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