William Thomas Stanley was born on 9 April 1892, the second of the three children of Joseph Thomas Stanley (1865-1904) and Amy Caroline Stanley née Holden (1864-1951). His birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1892 in the Marylebone Registration District, London. He was baptised on 29 May 1892 at St Mary's Church, Bryanston Square, Marylebone, where in the baptismal register his date of birth was confirmed as 9 April 1892, that his family were living at 66 Seymour Buildings, Seymour Place, Marylebone and that his father was a 1st class sorter at the Post Office's Western District Office.
The census compiled on 31 March 1901 shows him as William T. Stanley, aged 8 years and living in four rooms at 19 Knox Street, Marylebone, with his parents, his two siblings: Charles Joseph Stanley (1890-1967) and Mary Edith Stanley (1897-1985) and his widowed paternal grandfather, Joseph Stanley (1831-1913) who was living on his own means, together with male boarder. His father was described as a civil servant (GPO).
In June 1910 he was appointed as an Assistant Postman in the West London Postal Region.
On 2 April 1911 his widowed mother completed her census return form and showed him as William Thomas Stanley, aged 18 years, single and a Post Office tube attendant, still residing in four rooms at 19 Knox Street, London W. with herself as a charwoman, his sister Mary Edith Stanley - at school, his paternal grandfather, Joseph Stanley - an old age pensioner, together with a male boarder. She confirmed that she had given birth to 3 children and they were still alive.
On 27 August 1911 he married Eva Maud Ethel Morris (1892-1964) at St Mary's Church, Bryanston Square, Marylebone, where in the marriage register he was described as aged 19 years, a bachelor and a postman, living at 19 Knox Street, Marylebone, the son of Joseph Thomas Stanley, a deceased P.O. Sorter, whilst his wife was shown as aged 19 years and a spinster who was also residing at 19 Knox Street, Marylebone, the daughter of George Morris, a deceased coachman.
In June 1912 he was appointed as a Postman in the Western District Office and on 4 July 1912 their daughter Violet Maud Stanley (1912-2013) was born and when she was baptised on 4 August 1912 the family were living at 4 Sovereign Mews, Marylebone.
They were to have three other children: George Joseph Stanley (1913-1988); William Morris Stanley (1915-1992) and Josephine Amy Stanley (1917-2015).
He joined the 1st/8th (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Post Office Rifles). His service number is shown on the Commonwealth War Grave Commission's website as 1701, which would indicate he enlisted towards the end of 1913, but his medal card shows his service number as 1901 that would suggest he joined in August 1914, on the outbreak of World War One. Whatever number he was allocated, it was changed to 370364 when troops were renumbered later in the war.
He was serving in No.2 Company of his battalion when he was killed in action, aged 24 years, on 7 October 1916 and his body was buried near where he fell. After the war ended it was exhumed and , in the Warlencourt British Cemetery, Rte nationale, 62450 Warlencourt-Eaucourt, France. His widow, who by now was living at 6 Molyneux Street, Edgware Road, London, received his army effects totalling £4-9s-3d on 3 October 1917 and a war gratuity of £9-10s-0d on 30 August 1919. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as "STANLEY, W.T." on the Western Postal District war memorial in Mount Pleasant, London, WC1. He is also commemorated on the , on the , on the , on the , on the and on .
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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