Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal

Stan was born on 22 Apr 1893 at Spalding (SA) to Alfred Charles Solly and Susannah Victoria Solly (nee Crabb).  He was the eldest of 3 children in the family, 2 boys and a girl. His father was the owner of the Port Lincoln Hotel from 1902 to 1911.

Stan went to school at Port Lincoln, leaving at Grade 7 to work on farms in the Whites River area. On enlistment he gave his occupation as farmer and his address as Whites River via Tumby Bay; his next of kin was listed as his mother.

He enlisted on 3 Nov 1916. This was his second attempt at enlistment, his first failing because of an injured hand. He reported to Mitcham for processing and was then sent to 2nd Depot Battalion (Bn) a day later to commence training. On 20 Nov 1916 he was allocated to 12th Reinforcements/32nd Bn.

After a shortened period of training he embarked from Adelaide on 16 Dec 1916 aboard HMAT “Berrima” bound for UK, disembarking at Devonport (UK) on16 Feb 1917 and two days later marching into 8th Training Bn at Hurdcott (UK)

On 22 May 1917, after completing training, he embarked from South Hampton bound for France, disembarking at Etaples (Fr) a day later. Three weeks later he was transferred from 32nd Bn to 50th Bn and taken on strength by his new unit.

The 50th Bn was originally raised in Egypt on 26 February 1916, arriving in France on 11 Jun 1916. Two weeks later the Bn entered the Front Line and saw its first major action at Mouquet Farm in Aug and Sep 1916, during which it suffered over 400 casualties. Stan joined his Bn after these actions but in time for battles at Messines and Polygon wood; The Bn losses around Polygon Wood were 221 killed or wounded. It was after this battle that he was admitted to hospital on 17 Oct 1917, passing through 3 Field Ambulance and 50th Casualty Clearing Station to 56th Australian General Hospital (AGH); here he was diagnosed with scabies, a debilitating and not uncommon disease in the trenches. A month later he was released from hospital and returned to his unit, which was still located in Belgium.

On 7 Feb 1918 he was granted 14 days leave, returning to his unit on 22 Feb 1918, just in time to be involved in repulsing the German Spring Offensive. In early Apr 1917 his unit was involved the Second Battle of Dernancourt and later that same month the Allied Counter Attack at Villers-Bretonneux in Belgium. The Bn fought its final action of the war on 18 Sep 1918, after which many of the troops, including Stan, were given leave; Stan returned to his unit on 11 Oct 1918.

Unfortunately, he was again admitted to hospital in UK and remained there and in the Convalescence Depot until 19 Jun 1919 when he embarked for return to Australia aboard “Miltiades”, disembarking in Melbourne on 5 Aug 1919. He then travelled to Adelaide to take his discharge on 14 Sep 1919.

After discharge he returned to Tumby Bay and resided at Lipson where he met and married Maude Blanchett Rebecca Borthwick at St. Margaret’s Anglican Church in Tumby Bay on 10 Oct 1923. They had a family of 2 boys before his wife died suddenly on 3 Jan 1938. She is buried in the Tumby Bay Cemetery. 

Stan purchased Sec 31, Hd of Butler from George Young in early 1940. He remarried to Violet (Betty) Berryman on 5 Dec 1942; they moved onto the farm and had a family of 2 girls, prior to moving from the farm to Spencer St in Tumby Bay in 1945.

Stan died on 17 Oct 1978 at the age of 85 years and is buried in the Tumby Bay Cemetery.