Stanley Upton Hammond

Stanley Upton Hammond

Personal Information
Date of Birth	16 Oct 1919
Place of Birth	Armadale, Western Australia
Death	28 Sep 1968, aged 48
Place of Death	North Perth, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	21 years, 6 months
Description	5'9" (1.77m) tall ; ; dark complexion ; brown eyes ; dark brown hair
Occupation	Farm hand
Religion	Church of England
Address	35 South street, South Fremantle, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Mother , Mrs Pheobe Hammond
Military Information
Reg Number	WX12379
Date of Enlistment	2 May 1941
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	2nd/32nd Australian Infantry Battalion
Date of Embarkation	6 Sep 1941 ‒ 23 Sep 1941
Ship Embarked On	HMT Queen Mary Fremantle to Port Tewfik via Trincomalee
Date of Embarkation	7 Aug 1942 ‒ 10 Aug 1942
Ship Embarked On	SS Charles P Steinmetz Cairns to Milne Bay
Date of Return	24 Jan 1943 ‒ 18 Feb 1943
Ship Returned On	HMT L1 Queen Mary Suez to Fremantle
Date of Return	31 Jan 1944 ‒ 7 Feb 1944
Ship Returned On	SS Andrew D White Finschhafen, New Guinea to Townville
Fate	Returned to Australia Medical discharge
Medals	1939-45 Star Africa Star Pacific Star Defence Medal War Medal 1939-45 Australian Service Medal 1939-45

Pre War

Was a member of the Militia Reg No W14362.

War Service

On 2 May 1941 Stan enlisted at the Claremont camp, and on 12 May 1941 he marched out to the 1st Training Battalion at the Northam camp. Basic training completed he was allocated to the 2nd reinforcements for the 2/32nd Battalion on 10 Jun 1941, and from 28 Jun until 4 Jul 1941 he was granted pre-embarkation leave. On 9 Sep 1941 he proceeded overseas on HMT Queen Mary part of Convoy 12A and on 15 Sep they arrived at Trincomalee, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) where they stayed overnight before departing for Suez the next morning where Stan disembarked on 23 Sep 1941.

On arrival he was sent to the 25th Australian Infantry training Battalion, and on 15 Nov 1941 he transferred to the 24th Training Battalion, and then on 30 Dec 1941 to the 2/32nd Battalion which was in Khassa, Palestine rebuilding and training. In July 1942 with the Germans and Italians threatening Alexandria, the battalion was rushed to join the allied forces in western Egypt. The 2/32nd Battalion participated in the attack on Ruin Ridge on 17 Jul 1942, and faced strong German counter attacks, such that they lost nearly 50% killed or wounded, and nearly 200 became POWs. Stan seems to have survived this, and would have enjoyed the battalion being moved back to rebuild, during which time he participated from 18 Sep until 9 Oct 1942 in a 9th Division Machine Gun School. The 2/32nd Battalion was to play a part in the secondary attacks in the Battle of Alamein on 31 Oct 1942 in the "Saucer" where the heaviest fighting occurred. Following the battle they returned to Palestine as Garrison troops.

With the withdrawal of all Australian troops demanded by Prime Minister Curtin, the 2/32nd embarked on 24 Jan 1943 on djg at Suez, disembarking in Fremantle on 18 Feb 1943 before enjoying 3 weeks leave before journeying by train to Adelaide from where they moved to north Queensland to prepare for service in Papua New Guinea. Prior to embarking he qualified for Proficiency Pay on 1 Jul 1943. On 7 Aug 1943 they embarked on SS Charles P Steinmetz in Townsville for Port Moresby. Stan and his unit participated in the amphibious landing at Red Beach, north west of Lae, and participated in the second phase of the attack on Lae. Following its fall they landed on Scarlet Beach north of Finschhafen, and defended the area against Japanese counter attacks. Between 13 and 16 Nov 1943 Stan was treated by the 2/3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station for acute myofascial strain. Advancing inland the 2/32nd captured Pino and then Pabu on 20 Nov 1943. They fought off savage Japanese counter attacks between 22 and 25 Nov 1943, and advanced to Christmas Hill on 10 Dec 1943 before being relieved two days later. On 31 Jan 1944 the unit embarked on SS Andrew D White at Finschhafen, disembarking at Townsville on 7 Feb 1944 where they were sent home on leave. Stan enjoyed 24 days leave in Kalgoorlie from 19 Feb 1944.

During Stan's leave he presented to the 110th Australian General Hospital in Perth and was cared for them from 5 - 9 Mar 1944, where his medical classification changed to 'B2', necessitating a change of unit and role and so on his return to duty he was sent to the 13th Australian Staging Camp at Oonoonba, in Townsville. On 1 Nov 1944 he was transferred to the 12th Australian Advanced Ordnance Depot, where on 9 Feb 12945 he suffered second degree burns to the Medial side of his right, lower leg. Hospitalised in the 2nd/14th Australian General Hospital until he could rejoin his unit on 24 Feb 1945. On his return it was decided on 18 Mar 1945 to send him home for discharge. However before that could be actioned he was admitted to the 37th Camp Hospital with Vincent's Angina for several days and on 4 Apr 1945 he began the travel home to WA. Stan was discharged on 12 Apr 1945.