Next of Kin plaque: Captain Stanley Keith Muir, 68 (Australian) Squadron, Royal Flying Corps

Bronze next of kin plaque, showing on the obverse, Britannia holding a laurel wreath, the British lion, dolphins, a spray of oak leaves and the words 'HE DIED FOR FREEDOM AND HONOUR' around the edge. Beneath the main figures, the British lion defeats the German eagle. The initials 'ECP', for the designer Edward Carter Preston appear above the lion's right forepaw. A raised rectangle above the lion's head bears the name 'STANLEY KEITH MUIR'. The plaque is in its original carboard case.

Born in Melbourne in 1892, Stanley Keith 'Stan' Muir was educated at Scotch College and Melbourne Grammar School but left school at the age of fifteen after he developed a disease of the hip which needed six months bed rest, six months on crutches and a lengthy convalescence at Gulpa Station in the Riverina before he was cured. Muir became a noted horseman in the district and was working as a station overseer at Mathoura, NSW, when he enlisted in the AIF in Melbourne on 20 August 1914. He had also previously served with the 29th Light Horse Regiment (Port Phillip Horse, Victorian Mounted Rifles).

Muir was appointed a private, service number 152, in A Squadron, 4th Light Horse Regiment. He sailed from Melbourne with his unit aboard HMAT Wiltshire on 20 August 1914, and arrived in Egypt on 10 December. In 1915, owing to rheumatic fever, and later, enteric, he saw just over a month's service on Gallipoli. Evacuated to England he was discharged from the AIF on 17 November, at his own request, in order to take up a commission in the King's Royal Rifle Corps. Later he applied for a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps. He qualified as a pilot in May 1916 and was posted as a Second Lieutenant to 67 (Australian) Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, in Egypt.

Muir led his squadron's 'C' Flight. Between September 1916, and January 1917, flying a Martinsyde, he was responsible for many successful bombing raids and aerial attacks. He was awarded the Military Cross in January ' For conspicuous dash and skill on 22nd December, 1916. In the attack on TEL-EL-SHARIA BRIDGE, he dropped his bombs from a low height and very accurately. In addition he afforded great assistance to the machine photographing BIR SABA during the same flight, by skilful fighting. He was mainly instrumental in shooting down a Fokker, which he followed down from 10,000 feet to 2,000 feet./ Further, on 1st January, 1917, he, single handed, pursued two enemy machines from EL ARISH to BIR SABA, one of which flew to the south, the other he drove down to its own aerodrome, coming down to 3,000 feet to do so./ During the chase he was under the enemy observer's fire for 10 minutes, but with great coolness held his fire until within 70 yards, and must have inflicted severe damage on the enemy machine. He then waited over BIR SABA under heavy A.A. fire for the other machine, which flew in shortly afterwards, diving so fast to earth that he was unable to attack it./ His ordinary work has been excellent.'

Later in January Muir was posted to 68 (Australian) Squadron, Royal Flying Corps and transferred back to England with it. At this time the squadron was flying de Havilland DH-5 aircraft and was tasked as a 'scout' squadron, escorting larger, slower aircraft, seeking out and destroying enemy aircraft, and supporting ground troops. The squadron remained in England until the end of September, but Muir is thought to have made a number of trips to France in this period. He was promoted to captain in May and also reportedly appointed a flight commander. On 18 August, it was noted that Muir had returned from overseas to Harlaxton, in Lincolnshire, where the squadron was then based. On 12 September while coming in to land after a training flight, the wing snapped off his DH-5 at 500 feet. He died instantly in the resulting crash and is buried in the churchyard of SS Mary and Peter Church at Harlaxton. His commanding officer, Major Watt, wrote: 'he was one of the staunchest friends a man ever had, and one of the most skilful and fearless pilots I have ever seen...Everyone loved him.'

This commemorative plaque was sent to Muir's father, John Franklin Muir, in Melbourne.