Morris Henwood STANFORD MM

Morris Henwood STANFORD MM Update Details

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STANFORD, Morris Henwood

Service Number:	628
Enlisted:	26 July 1915
Last Rank:	Lieutenant
Last Unit:	5th Machine Gun Battalion
Born:	Fulham, South Australia, 12 June 1890
Home Town:	Fulham (SA), City of West Torrens, South Australia
Schooling:	Sturt Street State School
Occupation:	Railway Civil servant S.A.R.
Died:	Fulham, Adelaide, South Australia, 28 June 1936, aged 46 years, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery:	West Terrace Cemetery (AIF Section) Section: LO, Road: 4S, Site No: 40
Memorials:	Adelaide High School Great War Honour Board, Adelaide North Adelaide Cycling Club Roll of Honor, Adelaide South Australian Railways WW1 & WW2 Honour Boards, Adelaide Sturt Street Public School Great War Roll of Honour, Henley Beach Roll of Honor

World War 1 Service

26 Jul 1915:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private
26 Jul 1915:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 628, 32nd Infantry Battalion, 5 years Adelaide Regiment
18 Nov 1915:	Involvement Private, 628, 32nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Geelong embarkation_ship_number: A2 public_note: ''
18 Nov 1915:	Embarked Private, 628, 32nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Geelong, Adelaide
9 Mar 1916:	Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 8th Machine Gun Company
1 Feb 1917:	Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 8th Machine Gun Company
11 Feb 1917:	Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 8th Machine Gun Company
16 Oct 1917:	Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 8th Machine Gun Company
26 Feb 1918:	Promoted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 8th Machine Gun Company
7 Mar 1918:	Honoured Military Medal, Polygon Wood, 'During the operations in the vicinity of POLYGON WOOD from 26th/29th September 1917, this N.C.O. by his splendid example in leading his sub - section under very heavy shell fire, enabled the Sections barrage guns and equipment to get into position. He was untiring in his attention to the guns and set a fine example to his comrades in the manner in which he controlled them under very heavy enemy shell fire.
5 Sep 1918:	Transferred AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 5th Machine Gun Battalion
19 Jul 1919:	Discharged AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 628, 5th Machine Gun Battalion

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Biography contributed by Steve Larkins

From How We Served

Lieutenant Morris Henwood Stanford MM (628) of Fulham, south Australia had been employed as a civil servant for the South Australian railways when he enlisted for War Service on the 26th of July 1915. Allocated to the 32nd Battalion 1st AIF, Morris embarked for Egypt and further training on the 18th of November, and arrived on the 30th of December.

Having arrived in Egypt Morris was transferred to the 8th Machine Gun Company being taken on strength on the 11th of March 1916. With this Unit Morris’s unit was shipped to France arriving on the 23rd of June. Morris’s service in the field would be continuous until into January 1917 during which he was evacuated for illness but was back in the trenches by the end of the month and in February Morris was promoted to Sergeant on the 11th of February.

It was during the operations in the vicinity of Polygon Wood on the 10th of October that Morris would be recommended for the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his bravery during this, and as well he was promoted to the junior Commissioned rank of Second Lieutenant in the field. Morris’s gallantry award would be downgraded to the Military Medal. On the 10th of January 1918 Morris received his full commission as a Lieutenant and soldiered on until he was evacuated for England on the 18th of October suffering disease contracted whilst on service.

Morris would remain in England for the duration of the War assisting at several of the training camps until he was marked for his repatriation back to Australia, departing England on the 10th of April 1919. Lieutenant Stafford MM would be formally discharged, and his appointment terminated with the 1st AIF after arriving back to Adelaide on the 19th of July 1919.

Having returned to civilian life Morris’s premature death following his discharge occurred on the 28th of June 1936, at the age of 46. Following his untimely death Morris was formally laid to rest with West Terrace Cemetery, South Australia.

Biography

Medals: Military Medal, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

The Register (Adelaide, SA: 1901 - 1929) Saturday 22 December 1917

LIEUT. M. H. STANFORD.

Mr. and Mrs. T. Stanford, of Thornbury, Fulham, have received word that their son Morris has been promoted to second lieutenant in the 8th Australian Machine Gun Company serving in France. Lieut. Stanford left two years ago as a private in the 32nd Battalion.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58863561

Observer (Adelaide, SA: 1905 - 1931) Saturday 12 January 1918

LIEUT. M. H. STANFORD, M.M.

Mr. and Mrs. T. Stanford, of Fulham, since the notification of the promotion of their son Morris to the rank of lieutenant, have received word that he has also been awarded a Military Medal. He is now in London on leave.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164145162

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