Private George Hugh Cleal

Private, 15th Battalion, Infantry (Army). 1914-09-18 to 1915-04-24

Son of Joseph Pacy Cleal and Margaret Robinson 'Maggie' Cleal (nee McDonald); younger brother of Paul Ethelbert Cleal (Service No. 799216) and Donald MacDonald Cleal (Service No. 193279)

According to a Toronto Star article (date not known), Corp. G. H. Beaver of the Headquarters of the Somerset Light Infantry wrote to Cleal's family as follows: "It is with deep regret that I am writing to let you know that your son George is dead. He was in the glorious charge of the Canadians, and the Germans sent over a lot of gas, which gave a lot of our boys no chance. He was amongst them. I have had him buried and a cross made, which we did by moonlight." It appears that this early grave (if there actually was one) was lost during the war as now he is named as missing on the Menin Gate in Ypres, Belgium.

The Cleal family had immigrated to Canada from Dayton, Ohio, in 1906. George Cleal was employed by Mr. Robert W. Weir of the Western Insurance Company. He had been educated at the University of Toronto Schools (371 Bloor St. West, Toronto), and his name appears on a plaque in the lobby of this school, as well as his biography in their 1916 Roll of Honour. He initially volunteered with A Company, 48th Highlanders of Toronto. He was a member of the first Canadian Contingent assembled at Valcartier Camp, Quebec.

George Cleal had two brothers who also served. According to the above mentioned Toronto Star article, both brothers were initially serving with A Company, No. 2 Section, 48th Highlanders of Toronto. Pte. Donald MacDonald Cleal was wounded by a gunshot wound in the wrist on August 16th, 1917. Sgt. Major Paul Ethelbert Cleal served with the 134th Battalion (Highlanders). Donald Cleal had owned Ralph's Cigar Store on Bay Street in Toronto. Source: Toronto Star article "Pte. Cleal Wounded" (August 30th, 1917).

According to a Toronto Evening Telegram article (undated), Cleal died at the 2nd battle of Ypres from gas poisoning.

15th Battalion Nominal Roll

Some time in 2002 a box of possessions that included items that belonged to Pte. G. H. Cleal were sold at the Sunday flea market on Front Street in Toronto. A dealer had acquired the items through a house clearance. He sold a box including a uniform and other military items. The dealer told me that the items ended up in a brother's home and had been kept for many years completely intact and treasured. I arrived a few hours after he quickly sold these items to a collector, and he showed me a couple of items that were left behind as unwanted - a University of Toronto Schools Roll of Honour book with Cleal's photo and biography, and a newspaper clipping about Cleal's death. I purchased both these items and scanned them. They can be viewed on Cleal's Canadian Virtual Memorial photo collection page. - M. I. Pirie