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Pte. James Currie Steele
British Army 10th Btn. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
from:Ayr
(d.8th Mar 1918)
James Steele worked in the coal mining industry in Ayr up till WW1 breaking out. In 1914 his beloved Mary died in childbirth with their 5th baby. Heartbroken and unable to hold down a full time job with 5 very young children to look after, he had no choice but to put them into care of the Quarrier Children's Homes in the Glasgow area.
He joined the army in 1915 and was sent to the front. He survived until March 1918 when along with many other soldiers, became another victim of the horrors of the battlefield. Reunited in death with his beloved Mary.
Their 5 children all survived and mostly went into service. Their 3rd child, Hannah Currie Steele, ended up living in England with one of her aunts who had moved down to England some years before. She had 4 children to 4 different fathers (marrying the 4th after WW2 ended). Only 1 of the 4 children knew about the other 3, because she was raised by the Aunt. That girl married and had 6 children of which the writer of this piece is one. It is only through the modern miracle of the internet, that it has now been possible to find out about, locate and reunite all members of this tragic family story, almost 100 years to the day that Gr.Grandpa Steele lost his life in battle. A series of memories, clues and dates fell into place and through using the internet, all data came together, introducing dozens of people to family members they never knew they had. Separated through time and tragedy, but united through the ether.
