Edmund Geoffrey Stanfield was an 18 year old surveyor’s pupil when he enlisted on 12 January 1916. The evacuation of Gallipoli had taken place and now the main theatre of war was on the Western Front. On examination he was described as being 5 feet 5 inches in height and 131Ibs. The only distinguishing features were a chicken pox scar on the centre of his forehead.
Geoffrey embarked on the Berrima on 4 July 1916 with the reinforcements for the 13th Field Artillery Brigade. After a period of training in England he proceeded to France on 26 February and marched into Etaples the following day. He was taken on strength with the 5th D.A.C. on 9 April 1917 having spent a period of time in a segregation camp at Etaples for an unknown reason. On 20 July, 1917 whilst still with the 5th D.A.C in Belgium, he was appointed as a driver.
Illness saw him hospitalised in Rouen towards the end of the year before re-joining the 5th D.A,C. in early January 1918. In mid -February Geoffrey was given leave to England, re-joining his unit on 5 March 1918. Illness continued to plague him and he was again hospitalised at Rouen in April 1918 returning to his unit at the end of May 1918.
The next entry in his service record has Geoffrey being granted leave to London from 29 January 1919 to 4 February 1919. He returned to France on 18 February 1919 and remained there until 16 April when his unit marched out to England for eventual return to Australia. He finally left there on 23 June 1919 on the Orita and discharged at Hobart on 7 October 1919.
After his return to Australia, Geoffrey worked with his father at their property at Alonnah, Bruny Island. Later, along with other members of the family he returned to Rokeby, the place of his birth and by 1936 is working as a labourer. Geoffrey married Pauline Mary Amott and became the father of Barbara, Joan, David, Robert, Margaret, Celia and Terri before being tragically killed in a cycling accident.
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