He was born on 28th September, 1916, son of Henry James and Kate Alice Ashdown of Dell Road, Grays, Essex.

Stanley came to work at the Factory on 31st July 1933, he was previously employed as a Labourer by Saunders & Co.

He wrote to the Bata Record in 1941 remarking on the shortage of cigarettes in Manchester, where he was stationed at the time.

Stanley died on Monday 20th September, 1943 whilst a Prisoner of War building the railway in Thailand for the Japanese.