Stanley Leonard Hunt, 6th HLI, KIA 23/1/45

A new Dutch member Ester, using her subject's name StanleyLeonardHunt, posted on the User Introductions thread on 29/9/2026: Hello

Research id'd that Ester had been trying to research him for six years - from a post on Twitter. In particular seeking to contact relatives etc.

CWGC id'd him fully: Service number: 14696989. Date of birth: 11 October 1925. Died 23/1/1945 buried @ Sittard. See: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2055305/stanley-leonard-hunt/ With no known relatives listed

TNA shows his record 'closed' till 2041 as the TNA don't know he died. A CWGC web link will suffice.
From The National Archives: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C18795333

CMP shows he enlisted after early 1942 into the General Service Corps, an all arms unit for initial training and assessment.

From memory you could join up at 18yrs, but not serve abroad till 19yrs.

I did try to use a genealogy site to identify his family, but it did not help.

This information was PM'd to Ester on 29/9/2026.

Can anyone identify his birth certificate? The long route would be to access his Service Record.

 

Another route is for a Will.

The official probate site has him as
HUNT STANLEY LIONEL 23 January 1945 14696989

Search probate records for documents and wills (England and Wales)

 

On the other hand!


? same photo as avatar

 

Likely birth:

Stanley L Hunt
Registration Quarter Oct-Nov-Dec 1925
Registration District Manchester South
Mother's Maiden Name Marsh
Volume Number 8d
Page number 209

Frederick Hunt dob 18.1.1896 living at St Clements Place in 1939, two blanked out records.

Frederick S Hunt married Elsie Marsh Q2 1924.

Got to go, no time to look further until later, good luck!

 

Casualty list. 6th Battalion, HLI:


(image from Ancestry)

I had a look on Ancestry for any family trees on Stanley, but no luck I’m afraid.

 

I have his birth certificate and his entry of death as well. Also his mother and fathers marriage certificate. I know their old adress was 8 StClements Place in Manchester. Parents are apparently buried at Gortons Cemetary in Manchester. Would love to know more on if there is still a grave of headstone for them. Can't find it. Also... Apparently there was a brother D. Hunt. No idea what the D stands for. Sealed record. still a mystery there.

 

Thank you for your trouble!

 

Thank you all for trying to help out. Warms my heart!!

 

No trouble at all, I just wish I could find more.

 

Hopefully TNA will unseal his records. Hoping I can get my hands on that

 

Beautiful flowers, Ester.



It is a wonderful thing you and others in the Netherlands do to remember our fallen. Thank you.

 

Thank you. This is the clipping from the Manchester Evening News from Thursday 8th February 1945 announcing his passing.

 

Yes, we are big on caring for them. Bringing him flowers regularly and we have a mass here every poppy sunday. beautiful. then a wreath laying afterwards. Every christmas I bring him red roses. Nine on his grave and the 10th I take home with me to put next to his picture in my livingroom as to make the connection to him. to make sure he is with us for christmas so to speak. he has become part of our family over the years.

I recently made sure the cwgc amended his age as it has been wrong on his stone for 80 years. he was only 19 not 20 years old

 

what I'm also trying to find is the HLI 6th battalions day to day diary of where they were when he died. I know they must have been around a german border place called heinsberg somewhere. If anyone can point me to where I could find this? I tried on tna but didn't find the file.

 

I think you can certainly still apply for his records under a Freedom of Information request. There is a fee, as you probably know:

Request a military service record - The National Archives

If they will not release those to a non-UK citizen (I don’t know the rules), then I am happy to apply for them for you.

 

Thank you for researching for me. Could the blacked out records be the sealed records for him and his brother D. Hunt?

 

I recently had success with this myself:

Operation Market Garden Casualty: pte. James William HOPE

I have one other similar request pending with CWGC. They have acknowledged my query, but as yet I have had no reply as to whether they agree with my findings:

Sgt. William Leslie Peever 2nd KSLI

Also, a few years ago I asked CWGC to amend the age on my own cousin’s grave in Italy.

I know they have amended the entry on their site, but as yet I do not know if they have corrected his headstone. I have left a request on findagrave with their volunteers in Argenta who will, hopefully, be able to provide me with a new photo of his headstone:

CWGC Headstone/Memorial Error Reports and results.

6099827 L/Cpl George James GATTY, 1st Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment): KIA 13 April 1945

 

Thank you. That is very kind of you.

 

Just let me know if you have any problems applying.

 

It is so nice to find a group of people who care as much as me about these boys. we owe them everything. Keep me posted on the stone. Stan's will have to wait a bit longer too. unkess they see wear or damage but they will replace it soon