My Great-Great Grandfather

by Mackenzie

On 1 June 1893 my great-great grandfather, Sidney Philip Steed, was born in Leichhardt . He was the eldest of 7 children.

On 29 November 1915, when he was just 22 years old he swore that he would well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force until the end of war.

My next slide is a copy of the oath he signed.

He married my great-great grandmother, Lillian Daisy in 1916, just after he enlisted.

On enlistment his rank was Private and he was appointed to 15th Reinforcements 4th Battalion. His Regiment Number was 6096 and this number is found on all his service records.

He embarked from Sydney on board HMAT Wiltshire on 22 August 1916.

Before enlisting he was a Painter and when he returned from the war he continued to be a Painter.

The 4th Battalion was among the first infantry raised for the Australian Imperial Force during WWI.

His Battalion took part in the ANZAC landing on 24 April 1915.

His Battalion served at ANZAC until the evacuation in December 1915.

After withdrawal from Gallipoli the Battalion returned to Egypt and in March 1916 it sailed for France and the western front.

His Battalion continued operations until late September 1918.

At 11:00 am on 11 November 1918 the guns fell silent.

Casualty forms show he suffered a gun shot wound to the buttocks on 14 May 1917 and was wounded in action in France on 26 April 1918.

He was discharged on 20 October 1919. He received 3 medals. The 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal and a Victory Medal.

After returning from the war he and my great-great grandmother had 5 children.

The youngest of those children is my great grandmother, Gladys, born on 8 September 1927, who is still alive today and I see regularly.

Sadly, my great-great grandfather’s only son, Philip, died in WWII when HMAS Sydney was sunk in battle on 19 November 1941 in the Indian Ocean off the West Australian coast.

I feel proud that my great-great grandfather and great uncle served this country so that we can live with the freedom that we have today.

LEST WE

FORGET