Private Harry (Herbert Henry)Steane,1274, 8th Battalion AIF
He was born in Warrington, England. The son of Sarah Ann Coggins (formerly Steane), of Fairbarn Rd., Stannington, Sheffield, Yorks, England, and the late Charles Steane.
Height 5’ 10”, weighed 10 stone 4 lbs, Brown eyes, Black Hair and a dark complexion.
He was employed as an Orchardist.
He enlisted on 5th October 1914 at Horsham, Victoria.
5th Januray 1915 posted with 2nd Reinforcements of the 8th Battalion.
5th April 1915 Arrived in Alexandria from the “Clan McGillivary”
17th May 1915 He was wounded by a Gun Shot Wound in the left Shoulder and Buttock.
24th May 1915 he was admitted to the Military Hospital in Valletta, Malta.
20th June 1915 He embarked in the “Euripides’ for England.
27th June 1915 Admitted to the Royal Victoria Hospital, in Netley England.
22nd Feb 1916 He rejoined the Draft and left Weymouth for Egypt om the “Kingstonian”.
5th March 1916 He arrived in Alexandria .
11th March 1916 He rejoined the 8th Battalion.
26th March 1916 left Alexandria on the “Megantic”.
31st March 1916 Disembarked at Marseilles
29th June 1916 Died of wounds received in Action, aged 21.
He was born in Warrington, England. The son of Sarah Ann Coggins (formerly Steane), of Fairbarn Rd., Stannington, Sheffield, Yorks, England, and the late Charles Steane.
Height 5’ 10”, weighed 10 stone 4 lbs, Brown eyes, Black Hair and a dark complexion.
He was employed as an Orchardist.
He enlisted on 5th October 1914 at Horsham, Victoria.
5th Januray 1915 posted with 2nd Reinforcements of the 8th Battalion.
5th April 1915 Arrived in Alexandria from the “Clan McGillivary”
17th May 1915 He was wounded by a Gun Shot Wound in the left Shoulder and Buttock.
24th May 1915 he was admitted to the Military Hospital in Valletta, Malta.
20th June 1915 He embarked in the “Euripides’ for England.
27th June 1915 Admitted to the Royal Victoria Hospital, in Netley England.
22nd Feb 1916 He rejoined the Draft and left Weymouth for Egypt om the “Kingstonian”.
5th March 1916 He arrived in Alexandria .
11th March 1916 He rejoined the 8th Battalion.
26th March 1916 left Alexandria on the “Megantic”.
31st March 1916 Disembarked at Marseilles
29th June 1916 Died of wounds received in Action, aged 21.
In his book “Cobbers in Khaki” Ron Austin gives this account of the night Steane died:
“On 24th June the 8th Battalion relieved the 12th Battalion Royal Fusiliers in the Messines Sector…..The poisition occupied was overlooked by the enemy who occupied the high ground around Messines. This meant any movement or trench work was restricted to the hours of darkness….The worst shelling being by minewerfers on the night of 29th June, which resulted in 5 deaths and 24 men wounded. The wind had changed to the right direction the following night and the allied gas attack on the enemy lines provoked another deadly artillery response by the Germans. One of the Australian casualties was Private Herbert Steane, a 21 year old from Horsham.
“On 24th June the 8th Battalion relieved the 12th Battalion Royal Fusiliers in the Messines Sector…..The poisition occupied was overlooked by the enemy who occupied the high ground around Messines. This meant any movement or trench work was restricted to the hours of darkness….The worst shelling being by minewerfers on the night of 29th June, which resulted in 5 deaths and 24 men wounded. The wind had changed to the right direction the following night and the allied gas attack on the enemy lines provoked another deadly artillery response by the Germans. One of the Australian casualties was Private Herbert Steane, a 21 year old from Horsham.
After his death, his mother wrote: “But the best of all in my idea is he volunteered for his country at once and was in the first landing on Gallipoli and I think that is a very great honour.””
He is buried in Berks Cemetery Extension, Ploegsteert, Belgium.
Harry Steane is remembered on the Stannington Sheffield War Memorial.
For more information you can go to the Stannington Sheffield War Memorial Website.
Source: National Archives of Australia
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