The Soldier's Details

Surname:
Steele
First Name:
Harold William
Nick Name:
Bill
Rank:
Private
Regimental #:
WX9419
Company:
‘C’ Company Headquarters
Enlisted:
4.12.1940
Discharged:
25.01.1946
DOB:
1.12.1917
Place of Birth:
Glen Forrest, Western Australia
Father's Name:
Harold William Steele
Mothers's Name:
Florence Steele (nee Wheatley)
Religion:
Church of England
Pre-war Occupation:
Forestry Worker
Java:
‘Blackforce’
Force:
‘A’ Force Burma, Java Party No 4, Williams Force.
Camps Thailand:
Kanchanaburi, Tamarkan, Pratchinburi, Linson Wood Camp, Petchaburi, Kachu Mountain Camp.
POW#:
Not known.
Return Details 1945:
Thailand-Singapore by aircraft, Singapore-Fremantle, HMT Highland Brigade.

General Description

Bill Steele enlisted AIF 4 Dec 1940 later joining 2/4th MGB’s ‘C’ Company Headquarters under Commanding Officer Captain Colin Cameron.
Bill missed reboarding ‘Aquitania’ when it sailed from Fremantle to Singapore 16 Feb 1942.  He was one of about 90 machine gunners to do so and later sailed for Singapore, but was offloaded at Java.  Please read about those AWOL and Java
Steele from Mundaring,  may well have been with the group whose truck broke down on Greenmount Hill and the boys missed reboarding the ‘Aquitania’ before she sailed for Singapore 16 Feb 1942.
Bill left Java to work on the Burma-Thai Railway, Burma end with ‘A’ Force Burma, Java party No. 4 Williams Force.  Please read about this work force.

 

Above:  McLoughlin mentions mates Hubert Millar and Bill Steele are in Burma with him – 1943.
Please read about the 2/4th boys who resided in the Mundaring area.

 

 

 

Returning from war, Bill married Joye Norma Siggins about 1951.

 

1923 Steele family have  Doris Irene die.

Below:   Florence Steele identifies pensioner who drowned.

 

 

1929:  Steele family have infant daughter die.

1930:  The Steele family endure the death of another infant child.

 

Below:  Bill’s sister Betsy becomes engage 1941.

 

May 1946, Bill’s father’s butcher shop, Mundaring is broken into.

1949:  Millar and Steele play footy Kalamunda & Mundaring teams.

 

Bill is trasferred to Kirup

 

March 1946 Joye Steele’s (nee Siggens) sister marries Hubert Millar of Mundaring.

 

1946 Bill’s brother Henry Alexander announces engagement.

 

Below:  Joy Siggins and her parents late of Mundaring, spend Easter 1948 with Hubert Millar family.

 

 

Bill Steele was employed by Forestry Department at Kirup.

 

 

 

Bill’s mother Florence Steele died in 1954 and his father died in 1958.

 

Bill Steele died 11 Oct 1976 aged 57 years and was buried at Bridgetown as was his wife Joye who died in 1999.

Camp Locations:

  • Kanchanaburi, 50k - Thailand
  • Linson Wood Camp, 202k - Thailand
  • Petchaburi - Thailand
  • Pratchinburi - Thailand
  • Tamarkan, Tha Makham 56k - Thailand
  • Kachau Mountain Camp - Thailand
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