210167 Sapper James Steele British Army Tunnelling Co. Royal Engineers from:Main Street, Newmills, Fife, Scotland James Steele is my paternal grandfather.
The following I have taken from James' letter dated 19th December 1920 to Army (I changed the first person to 2nd person) It was after his medal 1914-1915 star, which he was later awarded.
James Steele Joined up in the colours on 25th Sept 1915 at the recruiting office in Douglas Street, Dumfermline, Scotland, then proceeded to Chatham on the night of 27th September 1915, landing in St Marys Barracks, Chatham next day 28th.
He then proceeded on the draft leave on 3rd October 1915. Returned back for the draft on the 7th, the draft leaving on the 8th October. He landed along with the draft at Rouen on 9th October 1915, was a fortnight at No. 4 General Base, Rouen. James fell sick and was admitted to hospital being sent back to England and proceeded North in the hospital train to Glasgow being admitted to ?bhill hospital on the night of 26th October 1915. He then proceeded on 10 days sick leave, returning to Chatham some date in November. He then again embarked for France on 31 December 1915 and ws there until he was wounded on 2nd June 1917.
His WW1 Army Discharge paper reads:-
Serial No. 8801
Certificate of discharge of No. 132130 (Rank) Sapper
(Name) James Steele
(Regiment) Royal Engineers
who was enlisted at Dumfermline
on the 25 Sept 1915.
He served 2 years, 311 days with the colours
He was discharged in consequence of being no longer fit for war service. Para 392
He was 24 years and 10 months old on discharge
5ft 6inches
Complexion fresh
Eyes Inky
Hair dark brown
On discharg he was sent home from Edmonton Military Hospital to his home at 14 Quakerfield, Taylor Building, Bannockburn, was given one pound advance in money, a suit of plain clothes and an overcoat.
Stories I can recollect hearing from James and his children.
He remembers with horror digging tunnells to lay mines under the enemy. He said that it felt like being in a coffin and he always worryed that the tunnell might collapse.
Fighting the enemy from the trenches. Watching his friends being killed, running over dead bodies.
And of course, Plum jam. Plum jam in his tea, for breakfast, lunch and tea - many times. When he came to live with us (I was a child), us children loved plum jam but grandpop always waxed lyrical about plum jam during the war and would never eat it.
He also told us about the time, a Scots, dressed in his kilt, big black hat, played his bagpipes early one morning in the mist. He said that the enemy, hearing this strange noise and seeing in the mist a giant of a man, turned tail and fled. (probably a furfy but still sounds feasable.)
James had been shot in the leg by shrapnel from a hit that killed the man next to him in the trench. He eventually had his leg amputated below the knee while living in Australia. I believe that he got the RSL in Australia to pay for taxis for limbless ex-soldiers to be taken to and from medical appointments.
James married in Scotland and emigrated to Australia in 1926 with his wife and five children on board "Ballarat".
His first job in Australia was as a miner in the coal mines at Cessnock, NSW. He was amazed that the tunnells were so high that he was able to stand up straight, not have to crawl along like in the mines in Scotland. Eventually he had many positions here as a worker and moved around NSW many times, not being able to settle.
He died 16th July 1971.
On the day he died, his last words that day were of the horros of WW1, of gassed men turning yellow, officers shooting their own men, and plum jam.
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