Stanley Warburton

Stanley, born on 9 May 1890 at Poynton to Thomas (a colliery under-manager) and Martha Ellen Warburton, was educated at Lord Vernon’s Elementary School and Macclesfield Grammar School. He entered Manchester University in 1908 read for a classics degree and obtained a masters. He was a keen lacrosse player and spent some time as secretary of the University lacrosse club. He was also part of the fencing team and a member of the Christian Union. After leaving the University he became an assistant master at Colton’s School at Stapleton, near Bristol.

Stanley was a member of the University Officer Training Corps (O.T.C.) from November 1908 to September 1911. On the outbreak of war he joined the Bristol University O.T.C. from which he was gazetted as a machine gun officer in the Lancashire Fusiliers in March 1915. In september 1915 he went to France, but after two months in the trenches his unit was sent to the border of Salonika in Greek Macedonia to fight against the Bulgarian army. On 14th September during the Battle of Machukovo, whilst holding a position recently taken from the enemy, his unit was subjected to heavy shell fire and Stanley was killed. His younger brother Allan joined the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and appears to have survived.