ANZAC Centenary 2014-2018: Sharing Victoria's Stories

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WWI Stories – Stanley Theodore Cleal

Paul Kelly shares the story of his grandfather.

IM000000Stanley Theodore Cleal was a Gun Captain aboard the ship HMAS Psyche. The ship was originally part of the British Fleet. When the ship was handed over to the Australian Navy, Stanley remained on board. He was also involved in the mutiny which occurred in 1916 aboard the ship whilst patroling the Mallaca Straights. Apparently it was so unbearably hot on the ship that the crew mutinied. After the war Stanley settled in Clarinda Melbourne where he married Madelaine Gertrude Taylor a descendant of the first fleet. They had four children, and later moved to a War service home in Spotswood. Stan died of septicemia around 1933. His war service home was taken away from his wife as the War Service Homes deemed she could not keep up the payments. Madelaine raised all three of her children in a rented house in Spotswood. She gave piano lessons and sold eggs to local people in order to survive.