William Standford
Colonel William Standford (1856-c1927)
1927 Obituary [1]
COLONEL WILLIAM STANDFORD, D.S.O., M.V.O., was born on the 26th July, 1856, at Canterbury, Kent, and after studying at King's College, London, entered the accountants' branch of the Royal Carriage Department, Woolwich.
After two years he was transferred to the secretary's office at the G.P.O., Cape Town, subsequently going into the private wires branch, where he remained for about two years.
In 1876 he resigned and joined the Cape Mounted Rifles and was attached to a telegraph construction party. Later he Avas transferred to the Telegraph Department and was formally appointed as clerk to the general manager, subsequently being promoted to inspector of private wires and, in 1894, to assistant engineer and surveyor of private wires. Previous to this he was seconded in 1891 for service with the British South Africa Company as superintendent in charge of telegraph extension northwards from Mafeking.
After his return to the Colony he still supervised the company's telegraphs, which work was eventually taken over by the Postal and Telegraph Department of the Colony until the appointment of a postmaster-general for Rhodesia.
His military career in South Africa commenced in 1877. After receiving his commission in 1885 he was promoted to Captain in 1892, Acting Adjutant in 1899, and Major and Lieut.-Colonel in 1901.
At the end of the South African War he was gazetted and awarded the D.S.O. He retired from the Post Office as controller of telephones in 1914.
He joined the Institution in 1877 as an Associate, and became a Member in 1886.