STEEL, Frederick Melville
| Service Number: | 4895 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 14 December 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 11th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Mount Gambier, South Australia, 27 October 1893 |
| Home Town: | Kookynie, Menzies, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway employee |
| Died: | Road Accident, Leonora, Western Australia, 2 June 1940, aged 46 years |
| Cemetery: |
Leonora Cemetery |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 14 Dec 1915: | Enlisted Australian Army (Post WW2), Private, 4895 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Apr 1916: | Involvement Private, 4895, 11th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Ulysses embarkation_ship_number: A38 public_note: '' | |
| 1 Apr 1916: | Embarked Private, 4895, 11th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ulysses, Fremantle | |
| 16 Sep 1917: | Promoted Australian Army (Post WW2), Corporal | |
| 10 Aug 1918: | Honoured Military Medal, Citation Reads : Near LIHONS on the 10th of August 1918 when touch was lost with the battalion on the right, the enemy were seen to be massing in numbers opposite the gap. Corporal Steel then rushed forward with his lewis gun and, suddenly opening fire upon the enemy, inflicting heavy casualties upon them and forced the remainder to disperse. His prompt action was the means of averting a grave situation and enabled us to regain touch with right battalion, allowing advance to continue. | |
| 15 Aug 1918: | Promoted Australian Army (Post WW2), Sergeant |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Ian Cusack
Frederick Melville Steel was born in Mount Gambier, South Australia on the 27th of October 1893 to Robert, born in Balhannah in 1855, South Australia and Hannah who was born in Mount Gambier in 1865. Frederick had two older siblings, Bessie and Robert and a younger brother William. The family lived on a farm in the Mount Gambier area until 1896 when the family moved to Leonora in Western Australia where Frederick's father worked as a miner.
Frederick was three years old when the family made the sea voyage from Adelaide to Esperance, then overland to the Goldfields. His formative years were spent in the hard working and often dangerous atmosphere in conditions that were primitive at best, where the basics would have been very hard find or procure.
Sadly Frederick's older sister, Bessie passed away in 1903 aged 14 years and his older brother passed away in 1912 aged 19, leaving him as the oldest and may have influenced his decision to join the Army in 1915.
Frederick passed his medical in Kookynie for his enlistment on the 14th of december 1915 where he stated his occupation as a railway employee and made his father his next of kin. His medical examination states the he was 22years 1 month old, was 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighed 138 pounds, was of dark complexion, dark hair and his religion was Presbyterian.
Frederick was posted to the 11th Infantry Battalion, after landing in Eygypt he was admitted to hospital in Alexandria after contracting measles, where he spent 2 months reuperating. He proceeded to France in July 1916 where he joined his battalion, unfortunately early January 1917 he was wounded in an action, his injuries were described as a GSW to the face and right thigh. He was transfereed to recover in England at Brook War Hospital in Woolwich. By the middle of that year he had fully recovered and returned to France to join his battalion, he was promoted to coporal and subsequently a sergeant during 1918.
Frederick in Aug of 1918 was officially recognised for his bravery under fire when through his actions he prevented a break a break through of their line and helped to their battalion rejoin their offensive line with an ajoining battalion as they advanced under heavy fire to push the german defenders back. Frederick was recommended for and recieved the Military Medal.
Returning to Australia mid 1919 he was discharged and returned to civilian life. By 1940 we know he resided at Leonora, was married with two children.
Frederick now worked as a miner like his father before him. Sadly after completing his shift at the Sons of Gwalia mine at midnight on the 2nd of June 1940 he was riding his bicycle home when he was struck by a utility, suffering fatal injuries.
Freerick is buried at the Leonora cemetery, in Western Australia, he was aged 47, a sad end to a fine man who fought for Australia in their time of need and subsequently was a valuable member of his community.
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