12. John Hart Steel 1912 [1624]

PARENT 11 Marion Ethel Davies 1876 [1616]

JOHN HART STEEL the firstborn of twin boys, was born in Malvern, Victoria on the 7 March 1912 (13336).

He married LESLIE MAITLAND BROWN in 1923 (8383). They moved to Geelong where John worked as a grazier and farm hand.

John served in the Australian Army, enlisting at Caulfield on the 7 June 1940 (VX 24141) His record states that he was five feet eight and a half inches tall with fresh complexion, dark blue eyes and dark brown hair, weighing ten stone 4 pounds. He was sent overseas to serve in Batavia , Indonesia, He was reported missing in Java and recorded on the 'X' list. The 'X' list is a register of all personnel who are reported missing from their regiments for any reason. He was later reported to be a prisoner of the Japanese and died from septic arthritis, malaria and pneumonia on the 23 October 1944, aged 32. At the time of his death he was a Sergeant with the 2/2 Pioneer Battalion. He was buried at the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery in Thailand. Grave 1.E.8