Photo Phil Pryer
COOK WILLIAM HENRY TANDY 1736 RAN.
Bill Tandy was born in Lilydale Victoria in February 1896, the only child of William and Alice Tandy. He enlisted in the RAN as a Boy 2nd Class on HMAS Tingira on the 1st of June 1912. He was advanced to Boy 1st Class in March 1913 and posted to the Light Cruiser HMAS Melbourne as an Ordinary Seaman 2nd Class in May 1913. Whilst serving in Melbourne, Bill was advanced to Ordinary Seaman on his 18th birthday before changing rate to 2nd Cooks Mate two weeks later.
In 1914, Bill married Florence Mee in Melbourne. Florence was 25 years old and shortly after the marriage, Bill posted to the Torpedo Boat Destroyer HMAS Parramatta and the vessel deployed to New Guinea waters. In February 1915 Florence gave birth to a daughter, however two days later Florence passed away. Bill was subsequently posted to HMAS Cerberus in April 1915., and then to the Protected Cruiser HMAS Psyche in July. He would remain in Psyche until October 1917, during which time he was advanced to Cooks Mate but also placed on 2nd Class for Conduct in 1916.
In November 1917 he returned to Cerberus and in January 1918 he married Alma Sandford in Melbourne. The couple would lose their first-born son in 1919 before having a son and daughter in 1921 and 1922 respectively. Bill was rated as a Leading Cooks Mate in 1918 and changed rate to Leading Cook in January 1920 whilst serving in HMAS Brisbane. For reasons unknown he was reverted to Cook in June 1920 before discharging end of engagement in February 1921.
The marriage was clearly a troubled one and in 1923 a warrant was issued for Bill’s arrest for deserting Alma and the children. They reconciled having a fourth child in 1930, however the marriage would end in divorce in 1933, Bill having deserted Alma again. Bill would marry for a third time in 1944 to Maria Helmond.
William (Bill) Tandy passed away in East Saint Kilda on the 18th of February 1967, his body was cremated, and his ashes interred the Springvale Botanical Cemetery Grevillea Section, Garden J6, Bed 3, Rose 25.
