Edgar Roy Stanford was born at Orange, NSW in 1893 to Adolphus and Eliza Stanford. Prior to the First World War, he worked as a shop assistant at a general store. Stanford served 4 years with the Cadets and had 5 years involvement with the Orange Rifle Club when he joined the Australian Imperial Force.

He enlisted on 22 August 1914 at Rosebery Park, New South Wales, and embarked with the 1st Light Horse Regiment from Sydney on 20 October 1914 aboard HMAT Star of Victoria. After spending time in Egypt with is unit, taking photos and keep up the diary he started just after enlistment. He with the rest of his regiment, left Egypt on the 9 of May and landed at Gallipoli on 12 May 1915.

He would then go on to spend two months on the peninsula before receiving a fatal gunshot wound to the right thigh on 1 July 1915.

Edgar Stanford was evacuated to Alexandria and it was here that he was told that he would lose his leg. Edgar Roy Stanford succumbed due to complications surrounding his wound and died on the 1 August 1915. He was buried the same day at Chatby Cemetery, now Alexandria Military and War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt.