Pte 4857 Honourable Artillery Company 2nd Bn.
Killed in action 3/5/1917 Bay 1 ARRAS MEMORIAL.
Enlisted Armoury House. 1911 42 High Street Beckenham. Son of Tom William and Clara Thornton.
On the east side of the churchyard is the family plot of the Thornton family. Mr Tom Thornton, a local stationer was also for many years the editor of The Beckenham Journal. He Lived above his shop in the village and the corner shop became known as ‘Thornton’s Corner’. He lost two sons during WW1 and paid for the restoration of the Lychgate at St George’s Church in memory of his two sons. Unusually for a war time death of a soldier, his eldest son Hedley is not buried in a war grave with a headstone, but in the family grave. This is recorded on the large stone cross headstone. A memorial slab on the grave mentions other family members buried here, and that Pte. Stanley Thornton was killed in action, France. May 3rd 1917. He has no known final resting place.
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2019 Stanley’s niece,Glenda Thornton age 82, visited Arras Memorial and saw Stanley’s name. She was taken to the present day field where his last battle took place when Stanley was killed and left a small poppy cross. Glenda Lindsay and Valerie Sheldon are the two surviving members of the large Thornton family. Tom William & Clara Thornton had 8 children,4 boys &4 girls. Victor the youngest & father of Glenda& Valerie,was the only one to marry!