Stanley's father John was born in Dolton and Maria Ashplant (nee Hearn) his mother in Beaford where John was a blacksmith. In the 1881 census John was staying as a visitor at his future wife and mother in law's home in Beaford Village and was to marry later that year.
John seems to have moved on to Northam where his first son Walter was born, but by 1885 arrived in Crediton where he had five more children, Ivy, Albert, Violet, Maria and of course Stanley who was born in 1893, the fifth child.
By 1901 John had changed trades to become a producer gas engineer on his own account and he and the family lived at 20, Landscore, Crediton. Maria was to die on 18th March 1916 after a lengthy illness six months before Stanley died from wounds received in the War. Stanley does not appear to have ever married and by 1911 was an apprentice in the grocery trade.
Stanley was to join the 9th London Regiment (Queen Victoria Rifles) soldier no. 5714. On his death his residence was shown as Tottenham, so presumably at some time he moved to the London area, although maybe just to volunteer. We are not sure if Albert signed up but there is a possibilty he joined the Royal Defence Corp. Walter died in 1910.
1/9th (County of London) Battalion (Queen Victoria's Rifles)
August 1914 : at 56 Davies Street. Part of 3rd London Brigade, 1st London Division. Moved on mobilisation to Bullswater, going on in September to Crowborough.
5 November 1914 : left Division and landed at Le Havre.
27 November 1914 : came under command of 13th Brigade in 5th Division.
10 February 1916 : transferred to 169th Brigade in 56th (London) Division.
1 February 1918 : transferred to 175th Brigade in 58th (2/1st London) Division, absorbed the disbanded 2/9th Bn and renamed 9th Bn.
It seems that Stanley was wounded on the day before the Battle of Givenchy on September 9th (one of the phases of the Battles of the Somme), although there is a possibility that it was during the battle itself as sometimes reports of death and injury were not always 100% accurate due to the conditions at that time.
In the Crediton Church Parish Magazine of November 1916 it reports the following:-
We regret to announce the death of Rifleman Stanley Dymond, 9th London regiment (Queen Victoria Rifles), which took place at Liverpool on 24th September. Rifleman Dymond was wounded on September 8th in the battle of the Somme, and was brought to a Military Hospital in Liverpool, where his relatives were able to visit him before his death.
The Devon and Exeter Gazette of Friday September 29th 1916 adds to this by reporting that "When at Crediton the deceased was very popular. He was one of the first members of the Association Football Club, in which he took a keen interest. He was 23 years of age".
Sources
- Crediton War Memorial, Panel 3, East Facing: S Dymond
- 1881 census RG11 Piece 2225 Folio 7 Page 7 Registration District Torrington (Find my Past)
- 1891 census RG12 Piece 1760 Folio 14 Page 21 Registration District Crediton (Find my Past)
- 1901 census RG13 Piece 2129 Folio 13 Page 17 Registration District Crediton (Find my Past)
- 1911 census RG14 Piece 13193 Reference (Find my Past)
- Ancestry
- Free BMD
- Wikipedia