Current Information:

Born-New Cross

Enlisted-London

Voormezeele Enclosure3, Belgium

The exact circumstances of the death of Stanley Topliss who was killed on 27th February, 1915, are not known but artillery men faced many dangers and during the course of the war nearly 50,000 of them were killed. Their gun batteries were targeted by the enemy’s guns which accounted for many of their casualties. Others were sent forward to act as ‘spotters’ which meant going forward to the front line and signalling back to the guns necessary changes in target and other vital information. Keeping the batteries supplied with ammunition was a dangerous task as the enemy guns would target the known supply routes, especially at night. Brigade Diaries rarely shine any light on casualties sustained, unless of course they were officers and even then information is sparse. 

19 Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery was in India at the start of the war in August, 1914, but they soon returned to England where they became part of 28th Division which went to France in January 1915 and spent the opening months of that year holding the line to the south of Ypres.