Steele, Frederick Wilberforce Alexander (Lieutenant, b.1885 - d.1914)

Collection relating to the First World War service of Lieutenant Frederick Wilberforce Alexander Steele, 4th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, France, 1914.

The collection consists of photographic reproductions of 9 letters, 2 telegrams, and 1 newspaper article; 1 handwritten letter from Lt Steele to his mother, and 1 handwritten copy of a letter sent by Lt Steele's mother to a friend, Mrs Ashbourner. All of the collection appears to have been addressed to or written by Lt Steele's mother.

All of the material, with the exception of the photographic reproduction of the newspaper article relate to one of two incidents during the service of Lt Steele: an injury he sustained in August or September 1914, and his death at some point between 25 and 27 October 1914.

The collection begins with a letter from Lt Steele to his mother advising her that he is not scared of death, that she should be proud of him, and that he is fit and well. The collection then contains letters relating to Lt Steele's being placed on a wounded list for sustaining a black eye or similar injury. The letters relating to this incident include several from soldiers serving alongside Lt Steele advising her that he is well, a hand-written letter by Lt Steele to his mother advising the same, and a letter to a Mrs Ashbourner written as a reply to Mrs Ashbourner, the wife of a member of the same unit, advising Mrs Steele that Lt Steele was fine.

The second group of letters relate to Lt Steele's death. This includes photographic reproductions of two telegrams offering condolences from the Private Secretary of the King and Queen on their behalf, and from the Secretary of the War Office. The remainder of the correspondence in the collection are letters from various friends, colleagues, and members of the Royal Fusiliers expressing their condolences and emphasizing the high regard in which Lt Steele was held.

In addition, there is a photographic reproduction of a newspaper article relating to the Royal Fusiliers entitled 'The Gallant Fusiliers', dated after November 25 (1914?) quoting a letter written by a Pte W G Holbrook of the 4th Royal Fusiliers to his sister discussing the difficulties that they had recently been facing.