STEELE, William Valentine
| Service Numbers: | 3917, 3917A |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 11 September 1915, Brisbane |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 49th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Women's Refuge and Infant Home,Brisbane, Australia , 7 February 1894 |
| Home Town: | Wondai, South Burnett, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Glamorganvale State School and Mondure North Provisional School, Queensland, Australia |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Died of wounds, France, 5 April 1918, aged 24 years |
| Cemetery: |
Warloy-Baillon Communal Cemetery Extension Plot VIII, Row F, Grave No. 20, Warloy-Baillon Communal Cemetery Extension, Warloy-Baillon, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Booval War Memorial, Wondai Shire Honour Roll WW1 |
World War 1 Service
| 11 Sep 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Brisbane | |
|---|---|---|
| 31 Jan 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3917, 25th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Wandilla embarkation_ship_number: A62 public_note: '' | |
| 31 Jan 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3917, 25th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Wandilla, Brisbane | |
| 9 Aug 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 3917A, 49th Infantry Battalion | |
| 3 Sep 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 3917A, 49th Infantry Battalion | |
| 17 Apr 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 3917A, 49th Infantry Battalion | |
| 16 Jun 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 3917A, 49th Infantry Battalion | |
| 5 Apr 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3917A, 49th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3917A awm_unit: 49th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1918-04-05 | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 25th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières |
William Valentine Steele
William was born in the Women's Refuge and Infants Home Turbot Street Brisbane to a young 20 year old Ellen Steele. In the first 8 years of life he grew up in the Glamorganvale area not far from Ipswich. He attended the local State School under the name of William Schekoske-his stepfather's name. He formed a bond with Valentine Schekoske-his step grandfather and in 1898 lived on Valentine's property with his parents until they headed north to Wondai in 1903.William adopted Valentine as his middle name when enlisting for WW1. At Wondai he attended Mondure North Provisional School along with his half brothers and sisters. In 1906 he faced a future without a father as Xavier (his stepfather) passed away.William leaves school at age 13 and is working on his family farm. The farm totalled a massive 320 acres and ran along Flats Road Chelmsford. His mother Ellen Schekoske nee Steele marries a John Kluck in 1908 and the age of 14 William had a new stepfather. At the age of 21 William enlists and leaves on the 31st January 1916 onboard the Wandilla for his great adventure. He is initially attached to the 25th Battalion 9-12 reinforcements but transferred to the 49th Battalion in April 1916. William is seriously wounded on the attack on Mouquet Farm on the 3/9/1916 and is sent back to Old Blighty to recuperate. Whilst recovering at Monte Video Campsite Weymouth William decides to take an early mark for New Year.He takes leave on the 29th December 1916 and is absent until the 3rd January 1917. At some point William sends home to his mother a tapestry from France which is framed and still with us today.William is injured on 4 more occasions and on the 5th of April 1918 and only 6 months from coming home he is mortally wounded. The A.I.F. sent home photographs of his grave to his mother which is also still with us today. I am proud of my ancestor.
Submitted 14 November 2014 by stuart steele
Biography contributed by Chris Buckley
William was the seond child of Ellen (Nell) Steele (born 1874 in Ipswich, QLD) and was born at the Women's Refuge and Children's Home in Brisbane, QLD - his name registered as William Edward Steele and he later dropped the Edward and added Valentine as his middle name. Nell's first child died in infancy. In 1898 Nell married Xavier Schekoske (born 1871 in Germany) and had four children. Xavier and Nell lived at Glamorgan Vale in Ipswich and Wondai in Wide Bay where Xavier was a Farmer. Following his death in 1906, Nell remarried Johan (John) Kluck (1887 - 1989) and they had three children.
William was enrolled at Glamorganvale State School in 1902, and at Mondure State School in 1906 as Schekoski. He left school at 12 years of age when his Step Father died, and stated in his Attestation Papers that he was a Farmer. In September 1915 William enlisted in the AIF as a Private (Service No:3917A) and was WiA on three occasions in France - at Mouquet Farm in 1916 (GSW ankle), at Noreuil in France in April 1917, and at Eglise in France in June 1917. He was slightly wounded in January 1918 at Larch Wood in France, and was back with the 49th Infantry Battalion the next day. William was KiA at the Somme on 5 April 1918.
Biography
Service Medals: British War Medal and Victory Medal
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