172299 Corporal George James Stanley was born 14 September, 1872 in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Robert John and Eleanor McMullen Stanley. He was a decorator with the T. Eaton Company and was married to Mary Canning Smith 1817-1917.
He volunteered for active service with the Queen’s Own Rifles, 83rd Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force on 20 August 1915. The 83rd sailed for England in April 1916 where it was broken up to reinforce the fighting Battalions. Stanley was transferred to the 2nd Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force in France in September 1916, he was wounded in battle on the 8th of October and died at the hospital in Colchester, England, on 20 November 1916. He is buried in a Commonwealth War Grave at Colchester Cemetery and is remembered on his family’s memorial at St James Cemetery, Toronto, Ontario.
Timeline of Military Service:
- 1915, 20 August – Attested into the Queen’s Own Rifles, 83rd Overseas Battalion CEF
- 1916, 28 April – Sailed from Halifax on SS Olympic
- 1916, 24 September – joined 2nd Battalion CEF in field in France
- 1916, 8 October – wounded during Battle of the Somme 1916 while serving with the 2nd Battalion CEF
- 1916, 16 October – transferred to Colchester Hospital, England with severe wounds
- 1916, 20 November – Died of wounds, buried at Colchester Cemetery Colchester, England
Link to his full personnel file at Library and Archives Canada:https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=247611
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada Regimental Museum and Archive 