FRANK C. STANMORE
Born: 1920, Ipswich.
Died: 24th November 1942; age: 22; killed during the Battle of Gue Hill.
Residence: 15, Wells Street, Ipswich.
Rank: Sapper; Service Number: 1894414.
Regiment: Royal Engineers, 1st Parachute Squadron.
Final resting place unknown.
Memorial Reference:
Face 10.
Beja,
Tunisia.
Relatives Notified & Address: Son of William H. Stanmore & Hilda V. Stanmore, of Ipswich.
Father: William Henry Stanmore, born 1888, Ipswich – died 1938, Ipswich.
Mother: Hilda Victoria Stanmore (nee Brett), born April 1887, Ipswich.
ENGLAND & WALES REGISTER 1939
Frank was living at home with his widowed mother and brother at their family home – 15, Wells Street, Ipswich.
Hilda, unpaid Domestic Duties.
George Albert Stanmore, born January 1923, Ipswich.
24th November 1942 – Battle of Gue Hill.
The officers of the 1st Parachute Battalion were informed by a French sailor that an enemy force of tanks and men were 9 miles from Sidi Nasis towards Mateur. The Commanding Officer decided to launch an attack. Zero hour was set for 03:00hrs on the 24th November.
Frank Stanmore was part of an 18 man detachment from the 1st Parachute Squadron of the Royal Engineers sent to mine the road to the east of a small hill called Gue, so if any of the enemy’s armour tried to escape they would be blown up.
To save time, they carried the primed Hawkins anti-tank mines in sandbags on their backs. At 02:45hrs, just as the 1st Battalion’s assault groups had moved into their assigned positions there were three explosions heard from the position of Captain Patrick Geary and the detachment. It is now thought that a man tragically slipped and fell, while crossing a deep ravine, setting off his mine, and triggering all the rest carried by the men to detonated. The entire detachment was lost.
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