Steele, William Lindsay

Nationality:: British

Biography

Do you have more information about this person? Inform us!

Mentioned in Dispatches

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel
Unit:: 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards, 1st Guards Brigade, 6th Armoured Division, British Army
Awarded on:: November 29th, 1945

Silver Star Medal (SSM)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel
Unit:: 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards, 1st Guards Brigade, 6th Armoured Division, British Army
Awarded on:: May 30th, 1946

For extraordinary heroism in action between 3 Oct and 24 Oct 44.
Major Steele was acting Commanding Officer, 2nd Bn Coldstream Guards, which relieved 3/350 ROT on the BATTAGLIA feature (map reference 0617, Sheet 99 IV, 1/50,000), on 3 Oct.
The relief took place on a dark, wet night, and a counter-attack against the Americans was in progress at the time. Major Steele had insisted on going to the fwd coy posns earlier in the day, in order to carry out his reccc successfully, and on several occasions was narrowly missed by bursting shells. Despite the counter-attack Major Steele calmly completed his orders to his "O" Co, set up his Command Post and awaited the arrival of the bn. Shortly afterwards, on visiting a sentry post, an unknown assaillant fired at him at close range with an automatic, but luckily missed. Undeterred, Major Steele proceeded with his organisation of the relief, which was successfully completed during the night, despite a number of casualties from harassing arty fire. For the next 20 days elements of his bn were continually in these posns, and Major Steele was in comd almost the whole time. His HQ, within small arms fire range of the enemy, was consistently shelled and movement from it during daylight was extremely dangerous. This did not prevent Major Steele from continuouely visisting every posn held by his bn, and ensuring personally that weapons were properly sited. Such visits brought him at times under heavy small arms fire. On many occasions he went without sleep for 36 hrs. When the bn was ultimately relived on 23/24 Oct, Major Steele organised the evacuation of casualties from his Command Post, which received a direct hit during the relief, and calmly continued the conduct operations amidst the shell fire and wreckage. The night was dark and [...] with rain, and the march into reserve ontailed a 10 hr slog through mule track 18 inches deep in mud. Major Steele was the last man off the hill, and completed his task by scoing everyone into billets before he himself took his rest.
During the whole of the period on the hill the weather conditions were almost impossible for the tps, confined as they were to slot trenches, and it was the unfailing cheerfulness, superb initiative, and wise decisions of Major Steele which made the operation a success. During the whole of this time this officer showed the most complete disregard for his own safety, in his anxiety to make certain that this vital feature was withheld from the enemy. His performance was an example to all that is finest in the tradition of an officer of the Brigade of Guards.