Stanley Champion

Stanley came from a large Probus fanuly, which he arrived into on 12th June 1897. His parents were Thomas Neal (a Roadman for the District Council) and Elizabeth Jane Champion. His mother was known as "Jame" His brothers were Cyril & Bertie, sisters Elsie, Gwennie, Millie, & Emily They all lived on The Green, and were of the Wesleyan faith. Stanley had a tattoo on his right forearm that may have reflected this faith it was of two clasped hands, presumably in prayer. 

When Stanley was 17, he tried working for the Great Western Railways as a cleaner, but soon left. He then learned to drive the steam plough, working on local farms. The steam plough replaced with mechanical means, what had always been done by hand using horse power. He must then have followed his father, working on the roads for the council. His prior experience allowed him to work as a steam roller driver. 

When he was 19 yrs 6 months old, on 1" February 1916, he attested for the Roval Engineers. The Roval Engineers sought men with the sort of specialist skills that Stanley had. As a steam roller driver, he was later graded as "proficient", then "superior. He was not actually mobilized until 23 February 1917. On the 2 April, he was posted to the 336 Road Construction Company of the Royal Engineers 

While in France on 29 June 1918, he was granted 14 days leave to the UK. The purpose of his leave was for his marriage to Amelia Burns. They subsequently lived at Conn's Villa, Bisseo, Perranwell Station. 

With the cessation of hostilities in November of 1918, Stanley's RE unit was still required, to help repair the road networks so damaged or obliterated during the conflict. Therefore he was still in France in early 1918, where he became ill. So ill he had to be hospitalized, at the 3 Australian General Hospital at Abbeville, France. He did not survive the illness, dying at the hospital on 13 February 1919. He was only 21 and had been married less than a year.

 
It is possible that Stanley was one of the millions of victims of the influenza pandemic, than spread around the globe between 1918 and the end of 1920. It killed off up to 5% of the world's population, and was one of the worst natural disasters ever experienced. Influenza of course generally picks of the young, aged and weak The pandemic was noted for infecting young, healthy adults. Recent research has identified the origins of the pandemic. It has been traced with reasonable certainty to the troop staging areas and crowded hospital camps of Etaples, France. It had been first noted in late 1917. The crowded and often unhygienic camps and hospitals, through which thousands of troops passed, was a perfect breeding ground for this respiratory infection. It may even have been the result of a mutated bird virus that transferred to pigs. Both poultry and pigs were kept near the camps.

 
Sapper Stanley Champion was buried in the Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension, and is rightly seen as one of our war dead, every bit as much as those killed in action.

 
There is another aspect to this story which seems quite unfair. Stanley's widow, Amelia, received her husband's personal belongings in October 1919. She had been given a list of those belongings by the hospital. They were, "photos, notebook, wallet, one plate of false teeth, knife, 3 brass souvenir caps, wrist watch with strap and protector, Religious emblems in a case, purse, one defaced coin, and 3 shillings, 1% pence in cash. When Amelia received these belongings, the cash was missing. In November she wrote, asking for an explanation of the whereabouts of this cash. She was advised that any money found in Stanley's possession, would have been credited to his account with the Regimental Paymaster. She was then advised to write to the Secretary, War Office, who dealt with all such money matters. I wonder if she ever received it?

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Researched and written by Stephen Jackson