Bilston, Stanley Sinclair

3379 Private Stanley Sinclair Bilston - 10th Light Horse Regiment

Stanley Sinclair Bilston was born in Fremantle WA on the 20th April 1898 to Henry and Esther Bilston. He was the eldest of seven siblings, with, Mona (1901), Vera (1903), Ena (1905), Leonard (1907), Selby (1909) and Viola (1912).

After Stanley's birth in Fremantle the family moved down to Katanning and then Albany. Stanley was educated in these districts. After leaving school Stanley took up work as a farm hand.

On the 16th September 1916 Stanley enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was accepted as fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 7 inches tall;

Weight - 118lbs;

Chest Measurement - 30-34 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Blue;

Hair - Dark Brown.

Upon his successful enlistment Stanley was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp. He was initially assigned to the 8th Reinforcements to the 51st Battalion before being transferred back to No.22 Training Depot. Stanley was then sent to the Light Horse training depot and was assigned to Camel Corps reinforcements before being moved to the 28th Reinforcements to the 10th Light Horse Regiment.

On the 9th May 1917 Stanley left Fremantle Harbour aboard the transport ship Port Sydney and set sail for Egypt, reaching Suez on the 20th June 1917. After being disembarked Stanley was sent to the 3rd Light Horse Brigade Training Regiment where he spent the next few weeks. He officially joined the 10th Light Horse Regiment on the 14th August 1917.

He served with them for the next few months but on the 12th October 1917 was sent to hospital with an injury to his leg. He had been kicked by a horse while on duty of watering the horses. 

Stan was released from hospital on the 10th December 1917 but was then sent to the 3rd Light Horse Training Brigade Regiment. He did not rejoin the 10th Light Horse Regiment till April 1918. The unit was then serving at the Jordan Valley and Es Salt.

On the 15th June Stan was evacuated sick and was eventually sent to the 14th Australian General Hospital at Port Said. He remained there till the 31st July 1918 when he was transferred to the Anzac Mounted Corps rest camp.

Stan rejoined the 10th Light Horse Regiment on the 22nd August 1918 and served with them for the next month but on the 21st September 1918 was again evacuated sick. He spent a few days in hospital and was then sent to the rest camp. Stanley was then sent to the 3rd Light Horse Brigade Training Regiment and he did not rejoin the 10th Light Horse Regiment till after the Armistice.

He then remained with the 10th light Horse from the 18th November 1918 to departing Egypt on the 10th July 1919. He returned to Australia aboard the transport ship Oxfordshire and disembarked in Fremantle on the 4th August 1919.

Stanley was discharged from the AIF on the 3rd September 1919.

He then returned home to farming and by 1922 was located at Ballintore Dinninup in South West WA.

In 1931 he was farming at Wagin.

In World War 2 Stanley enlisted into the Royal Australian Air Force in 1940. He was assigned the service number 81749 and was appointed a Leading Aircraftsman with RAAF through to 1945. He served within Australia.

After World War Two he went to Yanchep where he was employed as a maintenance worker. He continued this through to the 1960's then returned to Wagin.

Stanley died on 15th October 1977  and was buried at Katanning Cemetery