Victory Medal: Lieutenant Phillip John Rupert Steele, 4th Field Artillery Brigade, AIF

Victory Medal. Impressed around edge with recipient's details.

Born in Melbourne, 26 year old Phillip John Rupert Steele had already served in the militia, in the Australian Field Artillery, when he enlisted in the AIF on 20 September 1915, for service in the First World War. Steele was assigned as a sergeant, service number 6416, to the 10th Battery, 4th Field Artillery Brigade. He sailed from Melbourne on 18 November 1915, aboard HMAT Wiltshire and arrived in Egypt a month later. The unit arrived in France in March. Steele was made a temporary lieutenant the following month, his substantive rank being confirmed in August.

On 15 November, at Flers, Steele sustained wounds to his forehead, right arm, knee and thigh. He was evacuated to the ANZAC Main Dressing Station, then to 38 (British) Casualty Clearing Station, before being transferred by ambulance train to No. 2 British Red Cross Hospital at Rouen. His leg was amputated at some time during his hospitalisation. On 27 November he was listed as dangerously ill. Despite reports of his improving condition in December, Steele died of his wounds on 8 January 1917 and was buried in the St Sever Cemetery.

Three of Steele's brothers served during the war. His eldest brother, Captain Frederick Steele, was killed between 25 and 27 October 1914 while serving with the Royal Fusiliers. His youngest brother, Second Lieutenant Norman Steele, serving in 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps in Palestine, was killed when his aircraft was shot down on 20 April 1917. The third brother, 6417 Corporal Henry Steele, who had enlisted on the same day as Phillip and served in the same unit, was recalled to Australia on compassionate grounds in March 1917, and survived the war.