Stanley Edmund David Mildren

Stanley Edmund David Mildren was born in 1887 at Thougla, Victoria. He was the youngest of ten children of John and Alice Ann (nee Evans), Mildren.

Stanley enlisted on January 1 1916, at Melbourne, Victoria. At the time, he was a single, 28-year-old bootmaker's clerk. Other documentation in his Service Record indicates that he also worked as a tin miner. 

He spent his first month in the army in B Company of the 23rd Depot Battalion. This was followed by a transfer to the 24th Depot Battalion at Royal Park. On March 1, he was admitted to Langwarrin VD Camp east of Melbourne, suffering from a case of chronic gonorrhoea. His condition was such that his foreskin was in a “generally unhealthy, infected condition”. The doctors suggested that circumcision would bring relief to his condition, but he outrightly refused to have it done. For this “unreasonable refusal to undergo an operation”, he was charged on March 15. There is a note scribbled on the Charge Sheet by the senior medical officer stating that the “charge cannot be brought” and that Stanley needs to be re-examined for detention. On the 25 of that month, Stanley went absent without leave for six days. He was fined ￡1. A similar offence in August of 1915 saw him forfeit two days' pay.

Stanley was transferred from Langwarrin back to the Reserve Company at Broadmeadows on April 16. After a month, he was transferred to the 4th Reinforcements for the 2nd Pioneer Battalion. In late May 1916, he was sent back to Langwarrin for treatment. It’s not stated in his records whether this was a recurrence of his previous condition or a fresh one.

On September 21, he was transferred to the 4th Reinforcements for the 3rd Pioneer Battalion. In mid-March 1917, he was admitted to No. 5 Australian General Hospital. Five days previous to this, he had started to cough up blood. He informed the doctors that he had had a previous attack three years ago and that he had had a cough for the last 12 months. In five weeks, he lost 10 lb. He was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis. On May 5, it was decided that he be discharged as permanently unfit, with no incapacity. This took place five days later.

Very little is known about Stanley once he was discharged. The 1936 Electoral Roll has him living at 38 Trafford St, Brunswick, and working as a labourer.  At some stage in 1936, he married Isabella Pedler. The following year, they were living at 244 Lygon Street, Carlton South. He died in 1965 in Tallangatta, Victoria, at the age of 77.