Stanley Francis “Stan” Harvey was born on February 22, 1889, in Thorley on the Isle of Wight, England. He grew up on a farm managed by his father.

In 1903, at the age of fourteen, Stan joined the Hampshire Carabiniers Yeomanry, where he served until 1907. He became an accomplished horseman as a mounted rifleman. The Hampshire Carabiniers were a well-trained mounted infantry territorial cavalry regiment that combined horsemanship with modern rifle skills. This role became especially important following lessons learned during the Second Boer War, when British forces recognized the effectiveness of highly mobile, rifle-armed troops. At that time, it was not uncommon for boys to enlist in territorial forces.

In 1913, Stan and his brother Douglas traveled to their brother Allyn’s farm in Saskatchewan. Finding prairie life unappealing, they moved on to Vancouver, where Stan worked a series of odd jobs before being hired as a steward aboard steamboats operating along the British Columbia coast and on routes between Vancouver and Victoria.

On November 5, 1915, Stan enlisted with the 127th Battalion, Canadian Infantry, Canadian Expeditionary Force. He had initially attempted to enlist in Canada but was deemed unfit due to a medical issue with his leg. Undeterred, he traveled to Shorncliffe, Kent, England, where he was accepted for service and assigned the rank of Private.

On January 13, 1917, Private Harvey was reassigned to the 2nd Battalion, Canadian Railway Troops as a Sapper and deployed to France.

During his service, Stan suffered from several illnesses, including “NYD (Not Yet Determined) Fever,” trench fever, and pneumonia. At one point, his condition was listed as “dangerously ill.”

On February 7, 1919, Sapper Harvey was discharged from the army in Vancouver, British Columbia. He returned to work as a steward on passenger steamboats along the BC coast, including the Vancouver–Victoria route, until 1920.

In 1919, Stan was presented with a certificate by Vancouver Mayor Robert Henry Gale. These certificates were awarded to returning First World War veterans in recognition of their contribution to the Allied victory and to officially welcome them home.

In 1920, Stan moved to Mount Lehman, where he purchased a 54-acre farm at the end of Taylor Road, next to the Canadian National Railway tracks on the banks of the Fraser River.

Stan became a very active member of the Mount Lehman community. He was a primary promoter of the Fraser Valley Milk Producers Association, served as a School Board Trustee, and was a member of the Mount Lehman British Empire Service League, which later became the Royal Canadian Legion (today known as Matsqui Unit #315, ANAVETS).

Stanley Francis HARVEY died on October 25, 1938.  He is buried at ***