Stanley Sadler
Date of birth: 5.1899
Date of death: 26.8.1918
Area: Castleford
Regiment: King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
Rank: Private
Service number: 52412
War Service
Stanley Sadler being of British nationality was born in December 1899 in Wakefield. He was conscripted into the army at the age of 17 and joined the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry as a Private.
His service unit was the 5th Battalion and his service number was 52412. He enlisted at Pontefract Barracks but although making every effort to find out where his training took place and also the date when he was sent over to France I have had no success. Stanley lost his life on the 26th August 1918, fighting with the 3rd Corps at the 2nd Battle of the Marne. He sustained fatal injuries and died four weeks prior to the cease-fire.
He is buried at St Hilaire Cemetery Extension in the town of Frevent, northern France. My wife and I visited his grave several times in order to pay our respects.
Unfortunately his service records are assumed to be part of the ‘burnt’ documents and his sparse campaign activities have been provided by the KOYLI museum and from researching the movements of the 3rd Corps at the time.
My wife is the only living relative, so once again I have been unable to refer to family documents. His service medals vanished from sight shortly after his death along with his metal plaque.
