Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Frederick Stanners was born at Chester-le-Street in 1892, one of 6 children of whom only 4 survived, 3 sons and 1 daughter, his parents having lost a daughter Barbara aged 3 in 1893 and a son George William aged 6 in 1901. His father Robert Stanners, a butcher by trade, native of Widdrington, Northumberland born in 1864 and his wife Barbara Ann Hardy born 1866 at Washington, County Durham, were married at Chester-le-Street in 1888 setting up home at 5, Robson’s Buildings, Washington. They stayed in the Washington area later moving to 90/92, Village Lane and by 1911 were living at 1, Springwell Hill Cottage. His father in his capacity as a butcher now worked for the Birtley Cooperative Society, Frederick 18 was a stable boy. Frederick was married in 1913 in the district of Chester-le-Street to Ada Paget.
Frederick first enlisted, exact date unknown, and was assigned as Private 1632 to the Northumberland Hussars due to his experience with horses. He was later transferred, exact date unknown, to the Household Cavalry and Cavalry of the Line, sub unit the 1st/1st Queen’s Own Worcestershire Hussars as Private 270751. Having evacuated Gallipoli in January 1916 due to the strong Turkish defences the Regiment was sent to Egypt to protect the eastern side of the Suez Canal, responsible for patrolling the whole of the Quatia area. August 1916 together with the Anzac regiments tasked to force back some 4,000 Turkish forces from Romani, an important and fortified watering hole. The Turks regrouped at Gaza, in Palestine and made a stand which brought the British to a halt until reorganised to conduct operations at Beersheba, the Turkish forces were forced to withdraw. Now attached since February 1918 to the Australian Mounted Division in the pursuit that followed the Worcestershire Yeomanry together with the Warwickshire took part in the last ever cavalry charge on guns in British Military history, The Charge at Huj, November 1917 to liberate the 60th London Division which was pinned down by Turkish fire. Their losses were heavy and followed by the Battle of Mughar Ridge and the Battle of Jerusalem.
In 1918 the Commonwealth forces entered Damascus, Syria, October 1st. The medical units arriving the following day. found the Turkish forces hospitals crowded with sick and wounded and a few days later an epidemic of influenza and cholera broke out. Unfortunately, Private Stanners record no longer exists, destroyed during the blitz of WW2, it is therefore impossible to know how he met his demise other than to say that the majority of burials in the cemetery where he is interred came mostly from these hospitals.
Private 270751 Frederick Stanners Queen’s Own Worcestershire Hussars died December 12th 1818, aged 27 and was interred at Damascus Commonwealth War Cemetery, Syria, grave B. 57.
His widow Ada received all monies due to him, a pension and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal and remarried between April to June 1919 to John I. Armstrong in the district of Gateshead, County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Frederick Stanners is remembered at Heworth on H92.03 at Eighton Banks on E50.04 and at Wardley on W97.01 and W97.02
