James Steele (1898-1918)

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James Steele (1898-1918)

Coxhoe born man served as a deck hand in the Royal Naval Reserve on HMS Louvain

James Steele was born in Gateshead in 1898. Both his parents Richard and Elizabeth Steele were born in Newcastle in 1860. They had at least ten children, giving James five sisters and four brothers. In 1901 the family lived at 103 Milling Street, Gateshead. By 1911 they had moved to 4 Liddell Terrace in Gateshead.

James’s father and three of his older brothers were sailors and it is probable that he followed them into service at sea. During the First World War he was a member of the Royal Naval Reserve serving as a deck hand with the service number DA/17633. In January 1918 James was onboard HMS Louvain. This was originally the steamship SS Dresden in peacetime when it operated as a passenger and goods ferry between Harwich, England and Antwerp, Belgium. It was requisitioned by the Admiralty in 1915 when it was renamed HMS Louvain.

HMS Louvain was based in the Aegean Sea and carried troops and supplies between the various Allied bases in the region. She left Malta on 15 January 1918 headed for Mudros, Lemnos, Greece. She was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine on 20 January 1918. A total of 224 people including James were lost in the sinking. Of the casualties 24 were part of Louvain’s crew the remainder were passengers. Many of them were naval ratings on their way to take up postings with other ships. James’ body was not recovered for burial and he was honoured on the Chatham Naval memorial.

James Steele was awarded the Victory Medal and the British War Medal for his service in World War One.

Civil Parish: Gateshead

Birth date: 17-Dec-1898

Death date: 20-Jan-1918

Armed force/civilian: Navy

Residence: 103 Milling Street, Gateshead (1901 census)
4 Liddell Terrace, Gateshead (1911 census)

Family: Parents: Richard Steele (1860), Elizabeth Steele (1860)
Siblings: Robert Steele (18830, Edith Steele (1885), Richard Steele (1887), Janet Steele (1889), Matthew Steele (1891), Mary Steele (1893), Alice Steele (1895), William Steele (1897), Nellie Steele (1903)