STEELE, Frederick Wilberforce Alexander (1885-1914)Frederick Wilberforce Alexander Steele was born on 12 September 1885, the son of Philip John Bickett Steele and Johanna Albert nee Ekman. He was educated at Melbourne Grammar School from 1899 until 1901, later enrolling as a boarder at Geelong College in 1903. At the time of his enrolment he was resident at 'Normanhurst', Denmark St, Kew.
 (War Service 1914-1918).JPG)
F W A Steele (Old Melburnians War Service)
He was appointed a Lieutenant in the Australian Field Artillery in 1905, then went to England, where he passed into the British Army in 1907. He went with 2 Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, to Jubbulpore, in India, in 1910, and returned to Australia on leave in 1913. On returning to England he transferred to 4 Battalion, and was stationed in the Isle of Wight. He left England for France with his regiment on 23 August 1914, the first day of the Battle of Mons, and was wounded a few weeks later. On his return to the front he was killed at the First Ypres Battle on 29 October 1914. His Commanding Officer’s wife wrote to Steele’s mother:
‘My husband cannot say enough for your son; he has done admirably, especially at Mons, which must have been a terrible experience to them all. Of course all of us who knew him knew that he would do great things, and his tremendous keenness and spirits before they all left were remarkable. My husband was so pleased to have him in the company.’ His last letter to his parents showed his customary cheerfulness:
‘I am very fit and happy and enjoying myself. I fancy I must have been born lucky. I just managed my exchange in time for this. I have looked forward to active service for so long. At present I am in command of a company and two machine guns that have done well. I was personally complimented by Sir John French.’ Captain F W A Steele 4th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, has no known grave. His name is commemorated on Le Touret Memorial, France.
F W A Steele lost two brothers at the Great War. These were: 2nd Lt Norman Leslie Steele, Australian Flying Corps (AFC), who died while a prisoner of war in Egypt on 20 April 1917 of wounds sustained after his machine crashed behind Turkish lines, his name is commemorated on the Jerusalem Memorial; and Lt Philip John Rupert Steele, 4th FAB, who died on 8 January 1917 of wounds sustained in France on 15 November the previous year. He is buried in St Sever Cemetery Rouen, Grave B.III.32. A fourth brother, Cyril Augustus Steele, served on the Western Front with 4th FAB in 1916-1917, however following the death of his third brother, he was recalled to Australia from his course at St John’s Wood Cadet School.
The Steele Oval at Melbourne Grammar School is named in honour of the three Steele brothers who died in World War I.
Sources: Based on an edited extract from Geelong Collegians at the Great War compiled by James Affleck. p 114 (citing J Beacham Kiddle, War Services Old Melburnians 1914-1918; Commonwealth War Graves Commission; Alf Batchelder, BA, Dip Ed (Melb), Melbourne Cricket Club Roll of Honour 1914-1918; Chris Baker, The Long, Long Trail www.1914-1918.net; Photo War Services Old Melburnians 1914-1918.)