Army Cyclist Corps
Stanley’s active service appears to have come to an end early in 1917, when he suffered injuries in the course of his duties and in the course of treatment to recover, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis.
Stanley Lockey was born in Naunton, near tow-on-the-Wold in late 1896. His parents were George Lockey (1854-1925), a self-employed stone mason and his wife Constance Helen (1866-1949) née Smith.
Stanley was one of five children; three brothers – Christopher Edward (born 1899); Henry George (1901) and Wilfred Norman (1905). A sister, Miriam E was born and died in 1895.
At the time of the 1901 Census the Lockey family lived at Harford Hill Cottage, Naunton. By 1911 they had moved to nearby Lower Swell.
Stanley had left school in 1910 or 1911, at the age of 14, and joined the General Post Office as a telegraph messenger. The British Postal Service Appointment Book records his appointment as an assistant postman in February 1913.
No Army Service Record has survived for Stanley but other records, notably a Pension Record do provide some insight into his time with the military. He enlisted on 2 December 1915, probably under Lord Derby’s Scheme’, which bridged the time between voluntary enlistment and conscription.
Mobilisation did not always follow immediately and it is not known when exactly he went into uniform. His initial posting was to the 3/8th Battalion of the London Regiment (where he was allocated the number 4807). He then transferred (date unknown) to 3/1st London Division Cyclists Company.
This unit would have been part of one of the Territorial Force (TF) London Divisions but which is not known.
It is known from his entitlement to the British War and Victory Medals, that he served abroad and the Pension Record papers state that he sustained injuries to his foot after falling into a shell hole, whilst performing his duties as a cyclist. He was treated for three weeks at the 11th General Hospital, Camiers before being repatriated and admitted to 3rd Western General Hospital at Cardiff (a TF hospital) on 10 April 1917.
Here he was diagnosed as having tuberculosis, which affected his injured leg. On 16 November 1917 he was transferred to the Welsh Metropolitan War Hospital, Whitchurch (formerly the Cardiff City Asylum). He remained there until 2 December 1917, when he transferred to the 3rd Southern General Hospital at Oxford.
On 15 January 1918 he underwent an operation to amputate the injured (and possibly tuberculosis infected) foot. A further transfer on 11 February 1918 took him to Milton Hill Sectional Hospital, a general hospital, under No 3 Southern Command. Located at Steventon, Berkshire.
This was housed in the family home of the eldest son of the founder of the Singer Sewing Machine Company. He stayed for a matter of days at Milton Hill, before being sent on 18 February to Kitebrook Red Cross Hospital, Moreton-in-Marsh, on 18 February.
He was now suffering from swelling in his hip joint and this was put down to spreading tuberculosis. He was fitted with a Thomas splint, to try to limit his movement and the spread of the infection.
He could now only walk with the aid of crutches and was given an 80% disability allowance.
From the 13 September to 29 October 1918 he was absent from Kitebrook, possibly allowed home to recuperate. For what ever reason, he returned to Kitebrook and remained there until 19 December 1918.
A Medical Board held on 16 January 1919 recommended his discharge from the Army as ‘no longer physically fit for war service’ and discharge followed on 13 February 1919.
He was then issued with a Silver War Badge to confirm discharge from military service and was granted a 100% disability allowance.
Stanley appears to have returned to Lower Swell to live (his name appears in the Electoral Register for 1920). It would appear that his medical condition worsened: a recently released Pension Record Card notes his disabilities as being ‘tuberculosis of the right lung; knee, foot and hip’.
He died in St Chad’s Hospital, Edgbaston, Birmingham on 6 May 1920, aged 23. This fact is confirmed in the burial register for Stow-on-the-Wold Cemetery, where he was laid to rest on 10 May 1920. His family chose to mark his grave with a rectangular, kerbed, stone surround.
Stanley’s brother, Christopher Edward, served as Private (number 144270) with the 38th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) and was killed in action on 21 October 1918, aged 19. He is buried in Highland Cemetery, Le Cateau.
Researched by Graham Adams 9 November 2020