McPHEE, Stanley Charles (1889-1918)
Stanley Charles McPhee was born at Talbot on 12 May 1889, the son of Dugald McPhee and Margaret Emma, nee Crooks. He was enrolled at Geelong College, in 1904 and married Grace Margaret Ricketson. The young couple were to have three children, George Stanley McPhee, born in Geelong in 1914, Margaret Faith McPhee, born at Winton in 1916, and Grace Elizabeth McPhee, born at Balwyn in 1918.
They lived for a time at Winton in western Queensland, where he was employed as a stock and station agent, however they were residing at Wattle Valley Road, Canterbury at the time of his enlistment (No. 3741) with 57 Battalion (10th Reinforcement Group), AIF on 24 July 1917.
Private McPhee embarked on HMAT A71 Nestor on 28 February, 1918 for France, where he was killed near Harbonnieres on 8 August 1918, Der Scwhartze Tag, as it came to be known by the Germans. Walter Downing described that day, The Turn of the Tide, in his book To The Last Ridge, when the British Army, led by the Australian and Canadian Corps, began the offensive which ended the war:
McPhee is buried at Heath Cemetery, Harbonnieres - Grave II.E.17. 57 Battalion lost three sergeants and twelve other ranks on this day.
McPhee’s two older brothers also served in the AIF, Chaplain John Claude McPhee, Chaplain’s Department, and Major Robert George McPhee, Australian Army Medical Corps. Chaplain-Colonel McPhee accompanied the 1st Australian Division to Egypt and Gallipoli, and shortly before the Evacuation was invalided home, having contracted enteric fever. He was elected Moderator of the Presbyterian Assembly of South Australia in 1916, having been the Presbyterian Minister in Lismore, Victoria, before the war. After the war he became the first Secretary of the Repatriation Commission (1920-26), and was Deputy Director of the Repatriation Commission of Victoria from 21 January, 1926 until 1940.
Major Robert George McPhee sailed on 2 May 1916, and served firstly with the 10th Field Ambulance, and then with 3rd Division Engineers Headquarters in July 1918. He was Mentioned in Despatches on 7 April 1918.
Sources: 'Geelong Collegians at the Great War' compiled by J. Affleck. pp71-73 (citing Australian War Memorial; Commonwealth War Graves Commission; McPhee Family Papers; Photo McPhee Family.)