Company Serjeant Major 5523 Robert James Stanley

© David Long (WMR-100091)
80 oak congregational chairs were donated to furnish the Chapel of the Manchester Regiment in Manchester Cathedral in 1936. Of these, 22 commemorated individuals, including this one to Robert James Stanley.

Died of Wounds on Monday, 21st December 1914, age 33.
Commemorated on Panel 34 and 35 of Le Touret Memorial, Pas De Calais, France.

'B' Company of 1st Bn., Manchester Regiment. 8th (Jullundur) Brigade of 3rd (Lahore) Division.

Husband of May Stanley, of "Oakdene", Alexandra Rd., Tipton, Staffs. Served in the South African Campaign.
Born: Exeter, Enlisted: Dublin, Resident: Tipton (almost certainly untrue).

Departed Karachi for Western Front, 27th August 1914.
Medal entitlement: 1914 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Not commemorated on any Tipton memorial.
Commemorated here because identified as Tipton on 'Soldiers Died in the Great War'.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1562485/

Genealogical Data

Birth of Robert James Stanley registered June quarter 1881 (3rd March 1881) in St. James (Exeter, Devon). Mother née Carins; father, James, was a Driver in the Royal Horse Artillery.

1891 Census
25 Crimea Road, Aldershot, Hampshire.
James Stanley (36, Labourer, born Beaudesert, Warwickshire), his wife Mary Ellen (32, born Cape of Good Hope, South Africa), and their 3 children: Alexander (10, born Newbridge, Ireland), Robert James (10, born Exeter), and Charles (5, born Aldershot).

1901 Census
No trace, was in South Africa serving with the Manchester Regiment.

1911 Census
Kamptee, Maharashtra, India.
Robert James Stanley (30, Single, Sergeant with 1st Battalion, Manchester Regiment).

On 6th February 1914, Robert James Stanley and May Thomas married at Dalhousie, India. This poses the question ' why was May in India?'. One possibility is that May had accepted a post as Teacher in one of the schools for the children of British soldiers serving in India, and met Robert there. This is just speculation.

In June 1921 May sailed from Liverpool to Montreal, Canada, for "educational purposes and to visit relatives". The relatives were her late husband's brothers, Charles and Alexander, who both lived in Manitoba. This was a significant visit as it was March 1922 before she sailed back into Liverpool. In 1930, she married the widower Elijah Wain who was the sub-postmaster in Owen Street, Tipton. She died in 1981, aged 96, at Emxouth, Devon.

Personal Data

The expert assistance of David Redhead, especially with the Boer War information, is gratefully acknowledged.

Robert enlisted with the Manchester Regiment in late-1898. When the Boer War started in 1899, he was serving with the 2nd Battalion and was one of the men selected to make a Mounted Infantry Company for the 1st Battalion to counter the mounted Boers. They sailed for South Africa on 29th November 1899.

When Robert landed in South Africa, the 1st Manchesters were trapped in the besieged town of Ladysmith. Robert's Mounted Infantry Company was attached to Lord Methuen's troops intent on relieving Kimberley which they did on 15th February 1900. Robert was there, as shown by his ‘Relief of Kimberley’ clasp.

Robert was one of around 3,000 men freed from captivity as Prisoners of War on 6th June 1900 at Waterval; this is just north of Pretoria. The Boers had already fled before the squadron of the 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys) commanded by Capt. F.S. Maude arrived. It is possible that Robert had been taken prisoner on 31st March at the Battle of Sanna’s Post.

Robert was entitled to the Queen's South Africa medal with clasps for Cape Colony, Orange Free State and the Relief of Kimberley, also the King's South Africa medal with clasps for 1901 and 1902.

The 1st Manchesters arrived in India in 1904, presumably Robert amongst them. He was certainly in India in 1907 when he joined the Freemasons. He may well have been present at the Delhi Durbar in 1911 when the 1st Manchesters were amongst the 40,000 troops present to celebrate the Coronation of King George V as Emperor of India.

In 1914, Robert married Tipton-born woman May Thomas in India (see above). Although ‘Soldiers Died in the Great War’ shows him as ‘Resident: Tipton’ it is near certain that he never set foot in the town. His Qualifying Date of 27th August 1914 on his Medal Index Card is the date that the 1st Battalion, Manchesters, set sail from Karachi bound for the Western Front. May would have returned to England, presumably to her parents in Alexandra Road, Tipton, and this was the basis for ‘Resident: Tipton’.

After Robert's death, his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £11/2/10d (11 pounds, 2 shillings and 10 pence); this was paid to his widow and sole legatee, May, in December 1915. His War Gratuity was £8/0/0d (8 pounds exactly), this was also paid to May in September 1919. The value of the War Gratuity suggests that Robert had enlisted in approximately August 1914.

Robert's widow, Mrs May Stanley, was awarded a Widow's Pension of 11/6d (11 shillings and 6 pence) per week with effect from 5th July 1915. This was revised to 33/6d (33 shillings and 6 pence) per week with effect from 28th October 1918, and then to 25/0d (25 shillings exactly) per week with effect from 7th September 1919.

Action resulting in his death

On 20th December the Germans detonated ten small mines on the left of Givenchy, they assaulted the entire front line and captured Givenchy. The loss of Givenchy would allow German observation over the British positions, so its recovery was vital and the counter attack was to be led by the 1st Manchesters and 1/4th Suffolks.

The Manchesters began their attacked at 3pm on 20th December. Hand to hand fighting took place re-capturing Givenchy house by house, which they held all night. The Germans counter-attacked but were held back until the French on the left were forced back and a flank attack by the Germans forced the Manchesters to retire. But the battalion attacked again and re-took the original trenches.

On 21st December the Germans continued to attack and forced the Manchesters out of the village, but the Manchesters had held the line long enough for reinforcements to arrive. The 1st Manchesters lost 106 dead on the 20th and 21st December. Most, like Robert Stanley, have no known grave and are commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial. He was Mentioned in Despatches in the London Gazette on 22nd June 1915.

Newspaper Cuttings

None.