Martin Eugene Stanley was born at Hatboro, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania on February 8, 1923. His parents were Frank Raymond Stanley (21 Nov 1898 – 24 Feb 1954), who was born in Nebraska and later lived at Hatboro, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania; and Wilhelmina E. Stanley (abt 1904 – unk), who was born in Pennsylvania. His father served in the U.S. Navy during World War I; he was an Engineman Second Class from January 1918 to January 1919. His parents married about 1921. In 1930 the family lived at Willow Grove, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and his father worked in the textile industry.

His father's second wife (his stepmother) was Florence Bertha 'Flo' (Battis) Stanley (8 May 1908 – 21 Sep 1986), who was born at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father and stepmother married between 1930 and 1934. By 1940 the family lived at 34 South New Street, Hatboro, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (his home of record), and his father was a retail car salesman. In 1949 the family moved to Bridgeton, Cumberland County, New Jersey, where they operated the Stanley Delicatessen.

He had at least five siblings: Raymond Watson 'Ray' Stanley MD (15 Dec 1921 – 27 Jan 1967), Walter W. Stanley (14 Aug 1924 – 6 Sep 1997), Frank W. Stanley (6 Nov 1934 – 2 Oct 1973), Florence Anna (Stanley) Higgons (1937 – ), and Douglas Stanley (unk – 1960).

He registered for the draft at Willow Grove, Montgomery County, New Jersey on June 30, 1942. He was six feet tall, weighed 160 pounds, and had blue eyes and brown hair. He completed three years of high school and worked as a general industry clerk. He was single, without dependents, when he enlisted in the U.S. Army at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on February 3, 1943. He entered active service at Fort Meade, Maryland on February 10, 1943.

He completed Army Air Forces radio operator and aerial gunnery training, and was assigned to the heavy bomber crew of Lt Joseph P. Peyton (1919 – 2009). By December 1943 the Peyton crew began B-24 crew training at Davis-Monthan Field near Tucson, Arizona. In January 1944 the Peyton crew was assigned to the 836th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico. There they completed B-24 crew training, and deployed with the Group to England in March 1944. They flew B-24 42-52766 'Sammy's Niece' from Alamogordo, New Mexico to Lavenham, England via the southern Atlantic ferry route—a journey of about 10,000 miles—and arrived in England by mid-April 1944. The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe.

He flew with Lt Peyton's crew through July 1944, and was sent with the crew to Southport, England for a week of rest leave (called 'flak leave') on August 2, 1944. By August 1944 the 487th Bomb Group transitioned to flying the B-17 'Flying Fortress'. By September 1944 T/Sgt Stanley was transferred to the crew of Lt Harold E. Oesch in the 836th Bomb Squadron.

On September 30, 1944, the 487th Bomb Group took off from Lavenham Airfield to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Bielefeld, Germany. The Oesch crew flew B-17G 43-38154 'Heavenly Body' on this mission. T/Sgt Stanley and seven of his crew mates were killed in action when their aircraft collided with another aircraft just after bombs away over Bielefeld. Apparently Lt Oesch, flying in the number 7 position of the Low Squadron, was caught in prop wash turbulence during the descending turn away from the target. His aircraft flipped over on its back and collided with B-17G 43-38037 'Liberty Belle', piloted by Lt Raymond F. Jackson, who was flying in the number 9 position. (Note: This is based on an eyewitness account, and differs from the report in MACR 9423.) 'Liberty Belle' lost its outboard starboard wing, and both ships went down. Lt Zalneraitis, bombardier on the Oesch crew, was able to parachute safely and survived as a prisoner of war. Seven members of the Jackson crew were killed; two survived.

T/Sgt Stanley is now buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands.

B-17G 43-38154 crew:
• Oesch, Harold E – 1/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Furr, Wilburn E – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Miller Jr, Henry J – 1/Lt – Navigator – KIA
• Zalneraitis, Vitold A – 1/Lt – Bombardier – POW
• Volavka, Melo – T/Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• Stanley, Martin E – T/Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA
• Graves, Hudie E – S/Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – KIA
• Green, Willard A – S/Sgt – Tail Gunner – KIA
• Focht, William J – S/Sgt – Waist Gunner – KIA

Source of information: Paul M. Webber, www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov