A Memorial Archive of Medals and Ephemera Commemorating Lieutenant E.C.Steele, Machine Gun Corps, formerly 16th London Regiment, and Captain L.E.L. Steele, Royal Berkshire Regiment, attached 5th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment

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A Memorial Archive of Medals and Ephemera Commemorating Lieutenant E.C.Steele, Machine Gun Corps, formerly 16th London Regiment, and Captain L.E.L. Steele, Royal Berkshire Regiment, attached 5th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment

Three: Lieutenant E.C.Steele, Machine Gun Corps, 1914-15 Star (Pte.16-Lond.R.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut.), all extremely fine, in their boxes of issue, with Next of Kin bronze plaque and Record Office enclosure

Four: Captain L.E.L. Steele, Royal Berkshire Regiment, 1939-45, Africa and Italy Stars, War Medal, all extremely fine, in box of issue addressed to E.J.Steele Esq., with named condolence enclosure

Two privately printed volumes of letters relating to Lieutenant E.C. Steele, the black leather covers gilt blocked "In glorious memory"

A similar volume containing photographs, the original letters, and a number of letters and cards acknowledging receipt of a copy of the memorial volume including letters from Buckingham Palace on behalf of the King and the Prince of Wales, from 10 Downing Street on behalf of Mr Lloyd George, from Eastcott on behalf of General Sir Douglas Haig, and from the War Office on behalf of Mr Winston Churchill

A quantity of photographs, some in a pocket album, two small lockets containing photographs, an 'other ranks' R.F.C. cap badge, a pocket edition of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam inscribed "E.C. Steele 23.8.17"

The collection contained in a mahogany box with fitted tray for the two memorial volumes (8)

Lot Essay

INDENTLieutenant Ernest Cecil Steele, born 1896, joined the Queen's Westminsters in October 1914 and proceeded to France the following year; obtained a Commission in the Machine Gun Corps, 1916 and served with the 200th Machine Gun Company, wounded in 1917; returned to France June 1918 as Lieutenant, 21 Machine Gun Battalion; Lieutenant Steele was killed in action 18 September 1918 and is buried in Heudiourt Military Cemetery France.

Captain Leslie Edwin Louis Steele, younger brother of E.C.Steel, served with the Royal Berkshire Regiment in Africa and Sicily. He died of wounds 4 August 1943, on attachement with the 5th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment in Sicily. The Battalion War Diary states "On the night of 3/4 August, the enemy withdrew...the Battalion set off in pursuit...Early on the Btn.H.Q.Carrier with the rear link wireless set on board went up on a mine, fatally wounding the Adjutant, Captain L.E.L.Steele..." He is buried in Catania British Cemetery, Sicily.

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