Foord, Stanely

4220A Private Stanley Foord - 1st Pioneer Battalion & AFC

Stanley Foord was born in Fremantle in 1891 to Walter and Emily Foord. He was one of eight siblings born into the family, with, Emily 1874, Annie 1879, Beatrice 1880, Walter 1882, Mary 1886, Violet 1889 and Myrtle 1898.

The family lived in the Fremantle and Cottesloe region. Stanley was educated in Fremantle and after leaving school he took up employment as a motor driver. During this time Stanley was also serving in the 18th Light Horse Regiment of the Citizens Military Forces.

Prior to the Great War the family lived at Perth-Fremantle road (Stirling Hwy) Cottesloe and David Road South Fremantle.

On the 18th October 1915 Stanley enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was passed as fit for service, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 6 & 1/2 inches tall;

Weight - 130lbs;

Chest Measurement - 32-35 inches;

Complexion - Sallow;

Eyes - Brown;

Hair - Dark Brown.

Upon his successful enlistment Stanley was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.33 Training Depot. He spent a few weeks here being taken through basic infantry training. On the 8th November 1915 he was transferred to the 4th Depot Squadron for Light Horse training. However Stanley was then re-assigned to the 13th Reinforcements to the 12th Battalion AIF.

He trained with this group in WA for the next several weeks. On the 29th January 1916 Stanley entrained with this group for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Borda and set sail for Egypt. After arriving there in late February 1916 the men were disembarked and sent into the reinforcement camp.

As the 1st Division units including the 12th Battalion were at their full complement of numbers Stanley and others were retained for the time being in the reinforcement camp. In late March 1916 the 1st Division Battalions embarked for France and their unallotted reinforcements such as Stan also left for France.

On the 29th March 1916 Stanley with other 1st Division reinforcements boarded the transport ship Transylvania and set sail, arriving at Marseilles on the 4th April 1916. Stan and the other general reinforcements were then entrained north for the French coast at Etaples. They then helped to create the camp for the 1st Australian Division Base Depot.

Stan's pre war career as a motor driver came in very useful and he was retained in this depot till the 24th may 1916. He was then sent to join the 1st Australian Pioneer Battalion. The 1st Australian Pioneers were then in the Armentieres sector, working in the trenches and reserve areas around Bois Grenier.

Stan had only been with the 1st Pioneers for a week, when on the 2nd June 1916 he was shot in the shoulder. Unfortunately this was self inflicted when he was oiling and cleaning his rifle. As was the case with self inflicted wounds, a court of enquiry was held, and it was found that it was accidental and not deliberate.

He was initially sent to the 2nd Australian Field Ambulance where he was patched up and was then forwarded onto the 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station. He had further treatment here and was then sent to the 13th Stationary Hospital at Calais. He had a few weeks of treatment here and on the 21st June 1916 was shipped to England.

On arrival in England Stan was sent to Northumberland War Hospital. Fortunately the wound was not severe and by the 18th August 1916 Stan was back in France. After a week at the base depot camp he rejoined the 1st Pioneer Battalion on the 25th August 1916.

They had just come out of the Somme action at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm and were now heading to Ypres in Belgium. They spent the next six weeks in Belgium and then returned to the Somme in October 1916. They remained in this sector till February 1917 undergoing terribly muddy and cold wintry conditions.

In April 1917 Stan secured a transfer to the Australian Flying Corps. His pre war work as a Driver and Mechanic would come in useful. 

He was sent back to England where he joined the AFC Depot at Perham Downs Camp. However his training was cut short when he fell ill and was sent to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital with venereal disease. He was a patient at Bulford from the 13th June to 28th August 1917. He was then returned to Perham Downs Camp.

On the 5th October 1917 Stan was sent to the AFC Camp at Wendover and while here was given the rank of 2nd Air Mechanic. He was here for the next few months and on the 11th December 1917 was sent to the Armourers School in Reading for specialised training. Once had completed this course in January 1918 he was transferred to the 7th Training Squadron. He was there for a month and was then transferred to the 8th Training Squadron on the 14th February 1918.

After a week he was detached for duty back with the 7th training Squadron at Leigherton. Stan was on duty at Leigherton till the 27th September 1918. He was then sent to the AFC Depot camp as he was about to return to the Western Front.

On the 15th October 1918 Stan was back in France and was assigned to No.4 Squadron Australian Flying Corps.  Though the war was nearing its conclusion, the Australian Flying Corps was kept very busy right up to the Armistice. The planes were flying several sorties a day so mechanics like Stan were kept bust keeping the planes in flying condition.\

He was with No.4 Squadron up till the 22nd December 1918 and was then transferred to No.3 Squadron AFC. Stan served with No.3 Squadron in France till the 3rd March 1919. He was then returned to England and was sent to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth to await being assigned a berth on a troopship home.

On the 6th May 1919 Stan boarded the transport ship Kaiser-i-Hind and set sail for Australia, reaching Fremantle on the 9th June 1919.

Stan was discharged from the AIF on the 1st August 1919.

He then returned to the family home at 54 Perth-Fremantle Road Cottesloe. He resumed his employment as a motor driver.

His father died in 1930 and mother in 1934. Stan was then living at Irvine Street Cottesloe.

Stanely Foord died on the 9th May 1940 aged 48. He was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery plot Congregational BA 0333A.