Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Roderick was the son of Thomas STANTON & Louisa Charlotte SEDUNARY and was born on the 5th of August 1898 in Bordertown, SA.
To his friends, he was known as Loyal.

His parents were married on the 21st of March 1883 at the residence of Louisa’s parents in Beaumont, SA.

His father was the son of Samuel STANTON & Maria HOOPER and was born on the 22nd of December 1859 in Langhorne Creek, SA.
His mother was the daughter of Joseph SEDUNARY & Louisa CLIFFORD and was born on the 16th of March 1862 in Langhorne Creek, SA.

Loyal was the seventh child born into this family of 7 children.

In 1883 his parents had purchased a farm at Pine Hill, about a mile from Bordertown and they called there property “Flaxley Home”
His father was a farmer and butcher in Bordertown.

He attended the Pine Hill School and the Bordertown Public School.

In 1912 Loyal gained employment as a junior Porter with the South Australian Railways (SAR) and was appointed to the Bordertown Railway Station.
He later became a cleaner with the SAR.

At the age of 18, Loyal enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 21st of August 1916 in Adelaide and allotted the service number 3714 and posted to C Company, 2nd Depot Battalion in Exhibition Camp. Hw was then transferred to the 48th Battalion, 10th Reinforcements and then the 50th Battalion, 10th Reinforcements.

Loyal embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT A32 Themistocles on the 4th of August 1917 and disembarked in Glasgow on the 2nd of October.
He served in France and embarked from England on board HT Swakopmund on the 15th of June 1919, disembarking in Adelaide on the 30th of July.

Loyal was discharged from the AIF on the 30th of August 1919 and awarded the British War & Victory Medals.

Loyal married Mary Anna BEARD on the 9th of June 1923 in St Barnabas Church, Croydon, SA.
Mary was the daughter of William James BEARD & Mary Anna RUTTER and was born on the 23rd of September 1887 in Hamilton, SA.

They made their home at 6 Thomas Street, Croydon and welcomed their first child; Lorna Mae, on the 5th of September 1929.

On the 14th of August 1952 Loyal purchased a home in McIntosh Street, Whyalla and he was a Plant Operator.

Loyal died on the 3rd of July 1959 in Whyalla and was buried in the Whyalla Cemetery the following day; Section A, Row 30, Plot 15.

Reverend V H Heading officiated at the gravesite.

Mary died on the 3rd of December 1964 and was buried with Roderick in the Whyalla Cemetery.

Military

At the age of 18, Loyal enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 21st of August 1916 in Adelaide and allotted the service number 3714 and posted to C Company, 2nd Depot Battalion in Exhibition Camp.
He listed his mother, of Bordertown, as his next of kin and she gave her consent for him to enlist as he was under age.

He was then posted to the 10th Battalion, 21st Reinforcements on the 14th of September and 4 weeks later he was posted back to A Company.
Loyal was then posted to D Company on the 25th of May 1917 before being transferred to the 48th Battalion, 10th Reinforcements on the 1st of June.
After another month he was posted back to A Company on the 1st of July and the on the 16th of July he was transferred to the 50th Battalion, 10th Reinforcements.

Loyal embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT A32 Themistocles on the 4th of August 1917 and disembarked in Glasgow on the 2nd of October.
Loyal was then posted to the 13th Training Battalion in Codford for further training and spent Christmas 1917 here.

After a further 4 months of training Loyal proceeded to France on the 15th of April 1918 and was taken on strength with the 50th Battalion at their billets in Daours on the 22nd of April.
Two days later they moved to Blangy-Tronville and bivouacked for the night in Blangy Wood and prepared for the counter attack on Villers-Bretonneux.
The following day they left Blangy Wood at 9.30pm but when they got to the jump off tape the Battalion leading the attack had left 10 minutes late and when they reached the tape the position was being subject to considerable hostile Machine Gun fire from Aquenne Wood.
In addition they received Machine Gun fire from Hangard Wood which hampered their deployment and prevented a good start.

The shelling and Machine Gun fire increased considerably when they started forward and their own wire in front of Cachy Switch Trench also hampered their advance.
After an advance of 1800 meters they found the leading Battalion had stopped and although more men pressed into the front line, no further progress was made.

The next day they were to join the French attack on Monument Wood but when Loyal and the 50th Battalion attempted to advance the French had not come up to their right side and they came under heavy Machine Gun fire from Monument Wood.
The French finally made their way there and during the day they managed to beat down the firing from Monument Wood.
They remained in this sector until they were relieved by the 45th Battalion late on the 27th and moved back to billets at Blangy-Tronville, arriving at 5.30am.

After 6 days here resting and regrouping they marched out on the 3rd of May to relieve the 45th Battalion in the front line near Monument Wood.
It was here on the 11th of May that Loyal suffered a Gun Shot Wound, mustard gas poisoning and burns to his right leg and was admitted into the 9th Australian Field Ambulance and transferred to the 61st Casualty Clearing Station in Vignacourt the following day.
He was then transferred to the 6th General Hospital in Rouen on the 13th and 4 days later he was invalided to England and admitted into the 1st Southern General Hospital, Kings Heath Section, in Birmingham. By the time he was admitted his burn had already turned septic.

On the 8th of June Loyal was transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Harefield and 7 days later he was discharged to No.3 Command Depot in Hurdcott.
He remained here until the 30th of July when he was then posted to the Overseas Training Brigade in Longdridge Deverill.

Loyal proceeded back to France on the 22nd of August and rejoined his Battalion who were in the reserve trenches near Harbonnieres.
Three days later they were relieved and moved to billets at Rivery where they rested and completed further training before embussing to Cartigny on the 8th of September.

The following day they marched to Beaumetz and bivouacked in the ruins of a small village in the Sunken Road vicinity. They then moved into the front line at Flechin the following day and then Soyecourt and onto Vendelles by the 12th.

Loyal fought his last battle of the war against the Hindenburg "Outpost Line", forming the divisional reserve.
They then moved to Jeancourt where they commenced salvage work east of the railway.
On the 22nd they moved to Bianches and by the end of September they had moved to billets at Ferrieres.
They spent all of October here in further training and were then entrained at Hangest Station heading to Boucly.
When they reached St Quentin on the 11th of November they received fantastic news that the Armistice had been signed and the war was over.

By the end of November they were in billets at Silvry and then moved to Dinant where they spent Christmas 1918. They had a hot roast meal for dinner and were allocated 150 litres of beer per Company, with double issue of rum.
They then spent January and February here and held marches, church parades a sports days.

On the 5th of March Loyal was granted 2 weeks leave and then on his return he joined his Battalion who had now amalgamated with the 51st Battalion and had moved to Sart Eustache.
They then moved to Le Roux at the beginning of April and on the 11th of April they moved to Aiseau.
Two days later Loyal was part of the No.35 Quote who marched out for return to England.

Loyal embarked from England on board HT Swakopmund on the 15th of June 1919, disembarking in Adelaide on the 30th of July.

Loyal was discharged from the AIF on the 30th of August 1919 and awarded the British War & Victory Medals.