View source for Gordon Charles Steele

{{CaptRN}} '''Gordon Charles Steele''', V.C., R.N., Retired (1 November, 1891 &ndash; 4 January, 1981) served in the [[Royal Navy]] after transferring in from the [[Royal Naval Reserve]].

==Life & Career==
Steele was promoted to the rank of {{SubRN}} on 10 July, 1915 and appointed to the {{UK-E22|f=t}}.  [[Arthur Kipling Waistell]], Captain (S) of the {{UK-SF|8}} reported that Steele lacked sufficient technical knowledge to serve as second in command of an "E" class submarine, although he was otherwise a good officer.  Steele was transferred to the [[Royal Navy]] for service in action, 13 September, 1915.<ref>Steele Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref>

Steele was promoted to the rank of {{LieutRN}} on 19 November, 1915.  

In March, 1916 a Court of Enquiry found him at fault for the failure of a torpedo tube in ''E 22'' to fire in action, which earned him the displeasure of Their Lordships and reversion from Submarine to General Service.<ref>Steele Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref>

He would apply for submarine service on 22 October, 1916.  That same month, he was being thanked for his ingenuity in inventing a fuze for submerged firing by depth or contact for use in anti-submarine weapons, though it was decided not to adopt his proposal.  On 5 May, 1917, he renewed his application to serve in submarines, but also indicated an interest in [[Special Service Vessel]]s.  An evaluation from this period praised his inventive mind but noted that he was lacking in the ability to take charge of men.  On 14 May, he was appointed to {{UK-IronDuke}} where, eventually, he would be placed in charge of her [[Transmitting Station]].<ref>Steele Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref>  A certificate of service as a Master in the Mercantile Marine was awarded to him on 7 November, 1917.<ref>Steele Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43.|}} f. 97.</ref>

In October, 1917 he was appointed to command {{UK-P63}} and possibly also {{UK-SC3}}.  This appointment ended on 2 September, 1918.<ref>Steele Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref>

On 27 April, 1918, he applied to serve in {{CMB}}s.  On 20 September, 1918 he was appointed in command of the {{UK-Cornflower|f=t}}.  He would remain in command until she was paid off in April, 1919 at which time he was appointed to {{UK-Ceanothus|f=t}} as first officer.<ref>Steele Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref>

Steele would take up an interest in essay writing.  He received ten guineas for winning the third prize Trench-Gascoigne award for his 1918 essay submitted to the [[Royal United Service Institution]].{{ToL|United Service Institution Prizes|4 June 1919, p. 9}}

==Post-war==
On 5 July, 1919 he was appointed to ''Orca'' for service in C.M.Bs..<ref>Steele Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref>

On the night of 18 August, 1919, Steele and {{UK-CMB88}} attacked Russian ships in Kronstadt Harbour.  Steele was awarded the Victoria Cross on 26 April, 1919 for pressing home an attack and being credited with the torpedoing the Bolshevik {{RU-AndreiPervoswanni|f=t}} after C.M.B. 88's captain was killed by machine gun fire.<ref>Steele Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref>  Commander [[Claude Congreve Dobson]] was also awarded the V.C. for his similar actions in this same operation.

Steele served in {{UK-Eagle}} from 5, August, 1920 until January, 1921.  In mid-1921, he received the curious compliment from Captain [[Cecil Horace Pilcher|Pilcher]] of being an "efficient & capable as machine gun offr. in chge of training of MG Corps of D'port Reserve Brigade."  A succession of commands of "P" and "PC" boats followed:  {{UK-PC56}} on 1 February, 1922, {{UK-PC73}} upon ''PC 56's'' paying off on 28 June, and then {{UK-P31}} on from 15 September, 1922 to 25 March, 1924, being promoted to {{LCommRN}} on 12 November, 1923.<ref>Steele Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref>

Fluent in French, Russian and "Hindustani" by this time, Steele qualified as an acting Interpreter in Russian in January, 1925.  He spent the years 1925 through 1929 at the Anti-Submarine School.<ref>Steele Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref>

Steele was promoted to the rank of {{CommRN}} on 1 November, 1931.

==See Also==
{{refbegin}}
* [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_rv=simple&_q=ADM+Gordon+Charles+Steele Service Records]
{{WP|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Charles_Steele}}
{{refend}}

<div name=fredbot:appts>{{TabApptsBegin}}
{{TabNaval}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Henry Francis Besant|Henry F. Besant]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Cornflower (1916)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Cornflower'']]'''<br>20 Sep, 1918{{NLDec18|p. 766}}<ref>Steele Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref> &ndash; Apr, 1919<ref>Steele Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Vernon Stanhope Rashleigh|Vernon S. Rashleigh]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Francis Charles Hanna|Francis C. Hanna]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. PC 56 (1917)|Captain of H.M.S. ''PC 56'']]'''<br>1 Feb, 1922<ref>Steele Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref> &ndash; 28 Jun, 1922<ref>Steele Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''?'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Thomas Charles Carpenter Bolster|Thomas C. C. Bolster]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. PC 73 (1918)|Captain of H.M.S. ''PC 73'']]'''<br>28 Jun, 1922<ref>Steele Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref> &ndash; 15 Sep, 1922<ref>Steele Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[John Gordon Aitchison|John G. Aitchison]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Newton James Wallop William-Powlett|Newton J. W. William-Powlett]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. P31 (1916)|Captain of H.M.S. ''P31'']]'''<br>15 Sep, 1922<ref>Steele Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref> &ndash; 25 Mar, 1924<ref>Steele Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[John de Clare Richards|John de C. Richards]]'''}}
{{TabEnd}}
</div name=fredbot:appts>

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Steele, Gordon Charles}}

{{CatPerson|UK|1891|1981}}
{{CatCapt|UK}}
{{CatBritannia|Unknown}}
{{CatRNR}}
{{CatRN}}