WESTLOCK — As Canadians gather to remember the service and sacrifice of soldiers this Remembrance Day, the Stanley family of Westlock will be joining them.
Kathy Stanley and her sister Gina, who resides in Sylvan Lake, are sharing some of their family’s wartime history and honouring the sacrifice of four family members killed in action, in both the First and Second World Wars.
In particular is the memory of “Uncle Bill”, Private William Arthur Adkins Stanley, age 21. He served in the Loyal Edmonton Regiment R.C.I.C and was the older brother to their father George (who went by Barry), who also served in Canada during the Second World War but was too young to go overseas.
“Uncle Bill had a great sense of humour,” said Kathy. “When they got the news that uncle Bill died, Dad wanted to fight and you couldn’t go at his age, you had to have an adult sign up with you. So that’s what he did,” she added, noting he was 16 years old when his brother was killed.
Private William Arthur Adkins Stanley was killed in action on Sept.18, 1944. Today, his photo hangs on the wall at the Royal Canadian Legion in Westlock. The two sisters often visit each other and when here, go to the Legion to remember their uncle’s sacrifice.
“There’s many times we have gone to the Legion just to visit his picture,” said Kathy, adding that their grandmother Lillian Rose Adkins Stanley, also lost two brothers in the First World War and was awarded the Silver Cross. The fourth family member killed in action was one of their great uncles, Lance Corporal Edwin Stanley, who died in August 1917.
Gina Stanley recalls hearing about their uncle Bill as a young girl from her grandmother, who would point out using an atlas where their uncle was killed during the war.
“From what I understood he was injured and then went back to England for a while,” said Gina, noting he rejoined his troops in 1944.
She pointed out a passage in the book, “The Long Road Home” which detailed the “heavy fighting” on Sept. 18, 1944 and the involvement of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment.
“It mentioned that the Loyal Edmonton Regiment had come through that part and had gone on … that’s when he was killed, during that time.”
With such a history that’s filled with memories of family members who served their country and fought in the war, and several who paid the ultimate sacrifice, Remembrance Day, like it is for many families of veterans, is often an emotional but meaningful day.
“I had a burning desire to go to his gravesite and I did, I went there (to Italy) in 2007,” said Gina. “It made me emotional. You saw all the graves and all these young men and I cried.”
It’s important that all generations continue to honour all those who paid the ultimate price for freedom, she said.
“War’s a horrible thing, it’s still going on. It’s not an easy thing to live with,” said Gina. Even though I never met him (uncle Bill), it’s like there’s a little piece of the family missing … you want to keep remembering them.”
