William Stansfield (railway officer)

Stansfield was born in 1874 at Wadsworth, Todmorden, Yorkshire, the son of the bootmaker Mitchell Stansfield and Margaret Ann Stansfield (née Forrester). He was a descendant of the Stansfield family of Stansfield, Yorkshire.[1] The family emigrated to Queensland in 1887. Stansfield was educated at Kelvin Grove State School, Brisbane, and worked for the Queensland State Railways from 1898 to 1914.[2][3]

View of ANZAC Cove, Gallipoli, shortly after the landing of 25 April 1915.

In 1900, Stansfield enlisted in the Moreton Regiment, transferring to the Australian Army Service Corp in 1905, becoming a second lieutenant in 1911. He enlisted in the First Australian Imperial Force in 1914 and was appointed brigade supply officer of the 1st Light Horse Brigade. Landing in Gallipoli in May 1915, he commanded the beach supply depot of the New Zealand and Australian Division.[2]

Stansfield was promoted to major in 1916, when Sir Harry Chauvel formed the ANZAC Mounted Division in Egypt in March 1916, and was in charge of supplies during the operations of 1916–17 which defeated the Turkish advancement towards Suez. Stansfield rose to lieutenant colonel and Chauvel promoted him to be his Assistant Director of Supply and Transport for the Desert Mounted Corps from 1917. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in December 1917.[2][3]

During 1918, Stansfield supplied the Desert Mounted Corps in the Jordan Valley and during the battle at Megiddo and the capture of Damascus and Aleppo. For his 'continuous zeal and ability', Stansfield was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) and was mentioned in dispatches three times between 1917 and 1919.[2][3]

Discharged in 1919, Stansfield returned to the Queensland State Railways. Sir Harry Chauvel visited Brisbane later that year, and approached the head of Queensland's railways who promoted Stansfield to Inspector of Passenger Rolling Stock from 1920. During the Royal Visits of The Prince of Wales, Prince Henry and The Duke and Duchess of York in 1927 and 1934, Stansfield was the State Transport Officer for Queensland.[3]

Stansfield joined the 1st Division, Australian Military Forces, in 1921 He was promoted from captain to lieutenant colonel in 1922. He was awarded the Volunteer Officers' Decoration (VD). He retired in 1937 as honorary colonel, but returned again as lllAssistant lllDirector of lllRemounts, Northern Command, in 1939, and as lllLiaison lllOfficer for lllCivil and lllMilitary lllDefence and finally retiring in 1941. Stansfield died on 19 May 1946.[2][3]

Stansfield married Amy Louisa Rogers in 1897 and they had 5 children.[2]