Clive Steele

Major General Sir Clive Selwyn Steele, (30 September 1892 – 5 August 1955) was an engineer and a senior officer of the Australian Army who served in both the First and Second World Wars. He was instrumental in the expansion of the Royal Australian Engineers (RAE) in preparation for the war against Japan.

Early life Born on 30 September 1892 at Canterbury, Melbourne, Clive Steele was the son of Herbert Selwyn Steele and Alice Lydia née Sinclair. He was educated at Scotch College (prefect and captain of boats, 1910), and the University of Melbourne (B.C.E. 1919). He joined the Militia in 1912.

First World War Appointed as a second lieutenant in the Royal Australian Engineers (RAE), Australian Imperial Force on 8 October 1915, he sailed for Egypt in November with the 5th Field Company. He arrived on the Western Front in March 1916 and was promoted to captain in September. While on recreation leave, he married Amie Osland Bilson on 6 January 1917 at West Brompton, London. During actions around Péronne, France in August 1918, he commanded a unit undertaking repairs to bridges while under artillery and machine-gun fire. On 31 August he undertook reconnaissance in front of the Australian lines, providing details of the state of bridges across the River Somme and the Somme Canal. For this action he was awarded the Military Cross, the citation for which reads:

Steele was promoted to major in October. He returned to Australia, and was discharged on 1 August 1919.

Second World War With the outbreak of the Second World War, Steele was seconded to the Second Australian Imperial Force on 13 October 1939 as the commander of the 6th Divisional Engineers. and the Greek War Cross, and was twice Mentioned in dispatches for his service in the Middle East. On 12 March 1946 he transferred to the Reserve of Officers.

He died of myocardial infarction on 5 August 1955 at the Repatriation General Hospital, Heidelberg and was cremated. He was survived by his wife; the couple were childless. In recognition of his contributions, Steele Barracks, the current home to the School of Military Engineering, was named in his honour.