Patrick was evacuated from France on 15th October 1914. After time being treated at the 2nd Eastern General Hospital in Brighton, he was posted to the 3rd Battalion of the Manchester Regiment on 6th January 1915. At that time, they were based in Cleethorpes, on the East Coast of England. In the minds of many,…
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Definitely not Saint Patrick
60% of the service records for soldiers from the Great War were lost in a fire during the Second World War. Fortunately, in terms of my research, those for Patrick Stanley were amongst the other 40%. My main interest, when I accessed the record for the first time, was to find Patrick’s place of birth.…
North West Frontier
Many countries that appear on modern maps are relatively recent creations. Some peoples hold to the belief that no one owns land. We are all transient tenants. They have a point. Belgium was created in 1830. The map of Africa was mainly drawn in the 19th century. Much of the Middle East had lines drawn…
Jewel in the Crown
Following service in South Africa with the 3rd (line) Battalion of the Manchester Regiment (https://www.roscommonstanley.me.uk/military/boer-war-concentration-camps/ ), Patrick was transferred to the 1st Battalion on 28 October 1906. He was sent to join them in India. The 1st Battalion had also served in South Africa, departing in December 1904. They arrived in the port of Madras…
Wilfred Owen and Patrick Stanley
Patrick Stanley was posted to France to re-join the 2nd Battalion of the Manchester Regiment on 13th November 1916. He would have been just one of a number of ordinary soldiers sent as replacements for the casualties incurred. As such his arrival was not noteworthy in any way. It is extremely doubtful if there were…
He never talked about it
Patrick’s army record contains dates of his service and his postings. The regimental war diaries provide some details of actions and places. For example, we know that, on 25th August 1914, the 2nd Battalion of the Manchester Regiment made a stand at Le Cateau. Here they lost 350 men, representing more than one third of…
The small print
In October 1902, Patrick signed Army Form B217 for a short service enlistment. It was for a total of 12 years, part on active service and the rest on reserve. Question 1 asks for the recruit’s name. (Starting with the difficult ones!) Question 2 provided the key information about Patrick’s place of birth. Question 18…
2nd Eastern General Hospital
In September 1913, the staff and pupils of Brighton, Hove and Sussex Grammar School took possession of new, purpose built premises on Dyke Road. In August 1914 they were forced to return to their old home. The building had been requisitioned. It became 2nd Eastern General Hospital. The building still exists. It is now a…
And so to France
Patrick reported to the Manchester Regiment’s Headquarters (at Ashton-under-Lyne) on 5th August 1914. Britain had declared war on Germany the day before. He was posted to join the 2nd Battalion in France on 30th August. When the war started the 2nd Battalion was based at the Curragh Camp in Ireland. They arrived in France on…
Sixty days in 1914
Patrick joined the Army on 2nd October 1902. At that time Britain kept a relatively small regular army. The armies of other major European powers were much larger. Britain’s army was entirely made up of volunteers and numbered a quarter of a million. (France, Russia and Germany had well over 1 million each.) Half of…