Stanley Harry Burrage Pirkis was the son of Harry Edgar Hedley and Katherine Eleanor Pirkis; husband of Martha Agatha Pirkis (married 22 August 1925), of Anerley, Kent. Anerley became part of the London Borough of Bromley in 1965, with a post code of SE20. Stanley enlisted in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps and volunteered for airborne forces.

Warrant Officer Class 1 (Armament S.M.) Pirkis successfully completed glider training and was posted to 12 Airlanding Light Aid Detachment, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, attached 53 (The Worcestershire Yeomanry) Airlanding Light Regiment, Royal Artillery and took part in operation Overlord (Normandy).

W.O. 1 Pirkis was killed in action on 12 August 1944, age 41, and was buried in Ranville War Cemetery, Grave Ref: IA. K. 4., Calvados, France.

By Rod Gibson with additional information from Ian Flack

Photograph from Ruth Simmonds, Granddaughter