Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Besides his siblings and father, Stanley was related to 3 other soldiers - 

Stanley Clifford Cousens #816 of the 15th Battalion was KIA 9 August 1916 in France near Mouquet Farm.  

Sydney Leake Cousens #5322 of the 26th Battalion was KIA 8 August 1918 near Villers-Bretonneux.  

Stanley and Sydney were 1/2 brothers to Harry Richmond Cousens, Stanley's father.  

Stanley's 2nd cousin Joseph Arthur Cousens served with the 2/12th Battalion in Papua New Guinea during WWII.  He died on illness in 1943. 

Stanley Clifford Cousens was born in Charters Towers on 20 November 1915 according to the Queensland Birth Registration Index.  However he gives his date of birth incorrectly as 15 November 1915 when he enlisted for service in WWII.  Stanley was the 4th son of Harry Richmond Cousens and wife Sophy Amelia Meyers.  His father had served in the 4th and 6th Queensland Imperial Bushmen during the Boer War. Stanley was named after Harry Richmond's 1/2 brother who had landed at Gallipoli with the Anzacs on 25 April of 1915.  

From the electoral rolls, Stanley had a varied working life.  In 1937  he was a sugar cane farmer of Trebonne near Ingham.  By 1949 he was a 'grisslyman' working for Mt Isa Mines (MIM) and living in Cloncurry.  A grisslyman screened ore through a grate.  His brother Cecil was living in Mt Isa too driving trucks for MIM. Stanley returned to Ingham and was living with his parents in Philip Street in 1954 and 1958.  No occupation listed.  

From his service record held at the Australian National Archives, Stanley enlisted for service in WWII in Townsville on 27 February 1941.  His service number was QX11526.  Stanley named his father as his next of kin as he was single with no dependants.  His address was Coolbie Siding near Ingham and he was a labourer.  Stanley was described as 5'8" tall with a fair complexion, auburn hair and green eyes.  His elder brother Harry Myers Cousens had enlisted in Townsville on 22 January 1940 and served with the 2/15 Battalion.  Another brother Cecil John Cousens enlisted on 22 September 1941.  His younger brother Louis George Cousens and his sister Lucy Amelia Cousens also served in WWII.  

Stanley started at a Private with the 2/31 Battalion and trained at Redbank.  He served in the Middle East from 4 May 1941 were he was promoted to the rank of Corporal on 13 June 1941.  The 2/31st had taken part in the invasion of Syria and Lebanon. Stanley and the Battalion returned to Australia in March 1942.  He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant on 26 August 1942 just before the Battalion embarked from Papua New Guinea to reinforce units on the Kokoda Trail.  Stanley did two tours of duty in PNG - from 9 September 1942 to 8 January 1943 and from 22 July 1943 to 22 January 1944.  In November 1942, Stanley and the 2/31st were the first Battalion to re-enter Kokoda after the Japanese retreat.  In September 1943 he was involved in the advance on Lae.  Back in Australia he was again promoted, this time to the rank of Lieutenant.  The Battalion then returned to Australia for almost a year before they were deployed in Borneo in July 1945.  On 20 August Stanley was transferred as a Lieutenant to the 2/24 Australian Infantry Battalion.  Stanley was demobbed on 19 December 1945.

In 1962, Stanley married Lillian Rebecca Mackenzie nee Emery in Ayr.  They were living at 30 Grau Street, Atherton when Stanley died in a car accident on 4 April 1963.  He was aged 47.  Occupation was given as Sales Representative.  They had no children.  (All information from his death certificate).  Stanley was buried in Plot 338, Section 7 of the Anglican Division in the New Ingham Cemetery.