Raymond Steed
Raymond Victor Steed | |
|---|---|
| File:44027993 raymond other 300.jpg Raymond Steed, circa. 1937-1939. | |
| Buried | Ben M'Silk Cemetery, Casablanca |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |  British Merchant Navy |
| Rank | Galley Boy |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Africa Star, 1939 War Medal, Atlantic Star, 1939-1945 Star |
| Other work | Killed in action |
Raymond Victor Steed (1 October 1928 – 26 April 1943) was the youngest person in the British services to die in World War II. He was just 14 years and 207 days old when the ship on which he was a galley boy, SS Empire Morn, was blown up after it hit a U-boat mine on 26 April, 1943.[1][2][3]
Early life
Raymond Steed, the son of steelworker Wilfred and his wife Olive (nee Bright), was born on 1 October 1928, at Rimperley Terrace, St Mellons, Monmouthshire. He was one of nine children. The family later moved to Christchurch Road, Newport, near Cardiff.[2]
Steed signed up to the British Merchant Navy Reserve Pool on 29 December 1942, two months after his 14th birthday. He joined his first ship, the former Royal Mail Line SS Atlantis, on the same day. Steed served as a steward's boy on the Atlantis, which had been converted into a hospital ship. He was awarded the Africa Star with clasp during Operation Torch, when Allied troops landed on the beaches of North Africa.[4][5] Steed left the ship three months later, in March 1943, to join the SS Empire Morn.[3]
Death
Steed's service aboard Empire Morn, a 7,092 GRT catapult aircraft merchant ship built by Barrow-in-Furness-based Vickers-Armstrong Ltd in 1941,[6] started on 4 April 1943. The ship sailed from Milford Haven on that day, loaded with military equipment destined for Casablanca and Gibraltar. She arrived at Casablanca on 25 April, and then set off for Gibraltar. At 9:45 p.m. on 26 April, 1943, the ship hit a U-boat mine off Rabat, Morocco at 34°08′N 07°58′W / 34.133°N 7.967°W.[6] A secondary explosion damaged the stern and blew out much of the crew accommodation. German records later revealed the Morn had detonated a mine laid on 10 April, 1943, by U-boat 117.[2] When the order was given to abandon ship, a head count of crew found 21 men missing. Steed was among this number.[7]
References
- ^ "Casualty details—Steed, Raymond Victor". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
- ^ a b c McGee, Billy (20.6.2007). "A Galley Boy Named Raymond Steed" (PDF). SS Treganna website. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Fogbuz.com website (2008). "Raymond Victor Steed, youngest recorded service death of WWII". Retrieved 2009-03-29.
- ^ BBC News (30 July 2007). "Honour bid for youngest war hero". BBC. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
- ^ "WW2 Seamen's Medals—Image details—Medal listing of Steed, Raymond Victor" (fee usually required to view full original pdf of medal entitlement). DocumentsOnline. The National Archives. Retrieved 23 April 2009.
- ^ a b "Registry of Shipping and Seamen, Movement Cards—Image details—Ship Name: Empire Morn" (fee usually required to view full original pdf of movement records). DocumentsOnline. The National Archives. Retrieved 23 April 2009.
- ^ mowbars.plus.com website (2008). "A Galley boy Named Raymond Steed". Retrieved 2009-03-29.
External links
- Catalogue description for record piece BT 382/3280, The National Archives. This document contains Steed's Merchant Navy service record.