Carter, Stanley Grant
No.1793 – Gunner Stanley Grant Carter – 8th Battery 3rd FAB AIF
Stanley Grant Carter was born in Invercargill New Zealand to Richard and Lucy Carter on the 25th September 1888. The Carter’s later moved to the United Kingdom where another son Geoffrey war born and in 1899 when Stanley was 11 they immigrated to Western Australia. Initially residing in Perth, Stan was educated at Perth Boys School though the family soon moved to live at Queen Victoria St Fremantle.
The Carters operated a drapery business at 4-6 Market St Fremantle and Stan worked there as a draper and storekeeper. Stan served for three years in the Fremantle Volunteer Artillery and so when war was declared in August 1914 he immediately offered his services to become part of the Australian Field Artillery. On the 17th August 1914 he was given a medical examination and was found to be 5 feet 8 inches tall, weight of 153 lbs; chest measurement of 35-38 inches; dark complexion; brown eyes and dark hair. His religious denomination was Church of England. Because of his experience in artillery Stan was assigned to the 8th Battery of the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade with the regimental number 1793.
The 8th Battery trained in WA until the end of October 1914 when they were told to pack up camp and prepare for departure. They entrained for Fremantle where they boarded the Transport Ship H.M.A.T. “Medic”. This ship left Fremantle Harbour on the 2nd November 1914, after arriving in Egypt the 8th Battery joined up with the other batteries of the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade. After their arrival they took up a hard programme of training which continued until late March 1915 when they were getting prepared to leave Alexandria for an unknown destination. Along with the infantry they made their way to Lemnos Island in preparation for a landing on the Turkish coast.
When the landing took place on April 25th 1915, the artillery did not land straight away as due to the rugged terrain not many suitable places could be found to position the Artillery pieces. Gradually the guns of the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade were disembarked and pulled to the heights of the 1st ridge where they could support their infantry. The 8th Battery took up position at the south of the Anzac battlefield near what was later known as Shell Green.
Casualties at the Battery were a regular occurrence as the Turkish guns sought out the Australian positions. On the 17th July 1915 such a Turkish gun located the position of the 8th Battery and scored a direct hit. Hector McClarty of the 8th Battery left the following account;
“We had a disastrous day on the 17th. Two of our battery guns engaged four of the enemy’s guns in an artillery duel. One of our guns was silenced early in the fight, and our boys behaved very gallantly indeed. A shell burst right in the gun pit, killing two men and the third I think will die. The two men killed were Stan Carter of Fremantle & Douglas Barrett Lennard of Guildford. Sergeant Taylor was the man wounded.
This is how the men in this Battery die: When the smoke from the bursting shell had cleared away, Wallis ran up to see the damage. He found Mick Taylor crawling about on the ground covered in blood, and dazed. Bill said “Are you hit Mick?” “No Bill” he said, “I am only scratched, look after Doug and Stan” (We found subsequently that he was wounded in 14 places) Bill then picked Doug Lennard up. The poor lad had one arm off, one leg shattered at the thigh, and internal wounds. He said “I’m done Bill, look after Mick & Stan. Don’t mind me.” Stan Carter had a fearful wound in his side. He said “I’m sorry I’m moaning, I know it will upset Mick and Doug, but I can’t help it, I can’t help it.” He died poor lad almost immediately. His last words were “Did they get the gun?” Doug was in fearful agony. He kept saying “I’m dying but by God I’ll die hard”. He lingered for two hours and it was pitiful to watch…His last words were “I died at the gun didn’t I?”…We buried the dear lads at midnight side by side. It was a real soldiers’ burial. The parson’s voice was drowned in the crack of bullets whistling overhead – and thus we left them”
Stan Carter was buried in Shell Green Cemetery in plot II.K.26. Two of his brothers also served in the war. Geoffrey Grant Carter died in March 1917 of wounds received at Pozieres and Phillip Grant Carter served with the 11th Battalion & 3rd Light Railway Operating Company though fortunately he made it back home.