Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Lance-Corporal

Unit:

16 Parachute Field Ambulance, Headquarters, 1st Parachute Brigade, 1st Airborne Division, British Army

Awarded on:

March 20th, 1947

Awarded for:

Operation Market Garden

"Lance-Corporal Stanners dropped with his Field Ambulance at Arnhem on the 17th September 1944 and was employed as an Orderly at an Main Dressing Station from 18th - 25th September. During that period he chose the duty of carrying in casualties and searching for wounded. Day and night he moved around the lines of both forces, treating German and English wounded, often under heavy shell fire, wearing no equipment other than a cardigan, a beret and first aid bag. On one occasion when mortar fire was causing casualties he went out to fetch a German wounded officer and continued working in the open until he had carried in four other wounded as well. On the night 21st September he went through the German lines to an isolated British position where he treated the wounded and helped the worst cases back to the Main Dressing Station. On many of his journeys he received shrapnel wounds of varying severity until by 24th September he had been hit in 37 places. He persisted in dressing his own injuries until ordered to have further attention, when a dressing of his own wounds lasted for 2½ hours. He could have walked across a road to regain his own lines any time, but remained with his wounded and was evacuated as a POW on 25th September."

Royal decree no. 1, dd. 9-2-1946