# Kenneth Steer

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{{EngvarB|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix = 
| name             = Kenneth Steer
| honorific_suffix = [CBE](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire)
| birth_name       = Kenneth Arthur Steer
| birth_date       = {{birth date|df=yes|1913|11|12}}
| birth_place      = Rotherham, Yorkshire, England
| death_date       = {{death date and age|df=yes|2007|2|20|1913|11|12}}
| death_place      = 
| education        = [Wath Grammar School](/source/Wath_Grammar_School)
| alma_mater       = [Durham University](/source/Durham_University)
| occupation       = Archaeologist
| years_active     = 
| employer         = [Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland](/source/Royal_Commission_on_the_Ancient_and_Historical_Monuments_of_Scotland) (RCAHMS)
| known_for        = 
| notable_works    = 
| title            = Secretary of the RCAHMS
| term             = 1957 to 1978
| predecessor      = Angus Graham
| successor        = John Dunbar
| spouse           = 
| children         = 
| module           = {{Infobox military person
| embed         = yes
| allegiance    = {{Flag|United Kingdom}}
| branch        = {{army|United Kingdom}}
| service_years = 1941–1946
| rank          = [Captain](/source/Captain_(British_Army_and_Royal_Marines))
| battles       = [World War II](/source/World_War_II)
*[Italian Campaign](/source/Italian_Campaign_(World_War_II))
*[North West Europe Campaign](/source/North_West_Europe_Campaign)
| awards        = [Mentioned in dispatches](/source/Mentioned_in_dispatches)
}}
}}
'''Kenneth Arthur Steer''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|CBE|FSA|FSAs}} (12 November 1913 – 20 February 2007) was a British [archaeologist](/source/archaeologist) and [British Army](/source/British_Army) officer. During [World War II](/source/World_War_II), he saw active service in Italy and later served as a [Monuments Man](/source/Monuments%2C_Fine_Arts%2C_and_Archives_program) in Germany. From 1957 to 1978, he served as Secretary of the [Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland](/source/Royal_Commission_on_the_Ancient_and_Historical_Monuments_of_Scotland).

==Early life==
Steer was born on 12 November 1913 in [Rotherham](/source/Rotherham), Yorkshire, England.<ref name="obit - scotsman">{{cite news|title=Kenneth Steer|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/kenneth-steer-1-692401|accessdate=29 May 2014|newspaper=The Scotsman|date=29 May 2014}}</ref> He was educated at [Wath Grammar School](/source/Wath_Grammar_School), a [selective](/source/Eleven-plus) state school in [Wath-upon-Dearne](/source/Wath-upon-Dearne).<ref name="obit - Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland">{{cite journal|last1=Dunbar|first1=John G|first2=Gordon S |last2=Maxwell|date=2008 |title=Kenneth Arthur Steer|journal=Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland|volume=137|pages=1–4|doi=10.9750/PSAS.137.1.4 }}</ref> He went on to study history at [Durham University](/source/Durham_University), where he was the president of the Durham Colleges Historical Society in the Epiphany term of 1934.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Durham University News |url=https://reed.dur.ac.uk/xtf/view?query=historical+society&docId=bookreader%2FDU_Journals%2FDUJ29%2Fduj29METSfile.xml&hit.rank=1#page/446/mode/2up |journal=The Durham University Journal |volume=29 |pages=384}}</ref><ref name="obit - scotsman" /> He graduated Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1935.<ref name="obit - Times">{{cite news|title=Kenneth Steer|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/obituaries/article2079328.ece|access-date=29 May 2014|newspaper=[The Times](/source/The_Times)|date=17 March 2007}}</ref> He stayed at Durham to undertake [post-graduate study](/source/post-graduate_study) concerning the archaeology of Roman [County Durham](/source/County_Durham). He was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in 1938.<ref name="obit - scotsman" /> Excavations as a student included the Roman villa in [Rudston](/source/Rudston), and Hadrian's Wall under [Eric Birley](/source/Eric_Birley) and [Ian Richmond](/source/Ian_Richmond).<ref name="obit - Times" />

==Career==

===Early career===
In 1938, having completed his university education, Steer was appointed to the [Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland](/source/Royal_Commission_on_the_Ancient_and_Historical_Monuments_of_Scotland) as an assistant archaeologist.<ref name="bio - Monuments Men">{{cite web|title=Kenneth Steer ( 1913–2007 )|url=http://www.monumentsmenfoundation.org/the-heroes/the-monuments-men/steer-capt.-kenneth-cbe|work=The Monuments Men|publisher=Monuments Men Foundation|accessdate=29 May 2014}}</ref><ref name="LG 8 July 1938">{{London Gazette |issue=34529 |date=8 July 1938 |page=4419 }}</ref> Within the commission, he initially worked as an investigator looking at [ancient monument](/source/ancient_monument)s in Scotland.<ref name="obit - Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland" /> He mainly worked in [Roxburghshire](/source/Roxburghshire) and the [Southern Uplands](/source/Southern_Uplands).<ref name="obit - scotsman" />

In the early part of [World War II](/source/World_War_II), he worked as a civil servant with the [Scottish Office](/source/Scottish_Office) at [St Andrew's House](/source/St_Andrew's_House).<ref name="obit - scotsman" /><ref name="obit - Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland" />

===Military service===
Steer was [called up](/source/Conscription_in_the_United_Kingdom) for military service in 1941 and joined the [Royal Artillery](/source/Royal_Artillery) as a [trooper](/source/Trooper_(rank)).<ref name="obit - Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland" /><ref name="LG 13 April 1943" /> On 31 March 1943, he was commissioned into the [Intelligence Corps](/source/Intelligence_Corps_(United_Kingdom)) as a [second lieutenant](/source/second_lieutenant).<ref name="LG 13 April 1943">{{London Gazette |issue=35980 |date=13 April 1943 |page=1738 |supp=y }}</ref> He saw active service in Italy during the [Italian Campaign](/source/Italian_Campaign_(World_War_II)),<ref name="obit - Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland" /> and took part in the [landings](/source/Landing_operation) at [Salerno](/source/Salerno) and [Anzio](/source/Anzio).<ref name="obit - Times" /> From 1943 to 1945, he served as head of the Air Photographic Interpretation Service attached to the [56th Division](/source/56th_(London)_Division). Near the end of the war he was transferred to the [5th Infantry Division](/source/5th_Infantry_Division_(United_Kingdom)).<ref name="bio - Monuments Men" />

In June 1945, when hostilities ceased, he joined the [Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program](/source/Monuments%2C_Fine_Arts%2C_and_Archives_program).<ref name="obit - Times" /> He was posted to the North Rhine Division which was based in [Düsseldorf](/source/D%C3%BCsseldorf).<ref name="bio - Monuments Men" /> His duties including directing the basic repairs of historic buildings. One example of this work is [Cologne Cathedral](/source/Cologne_Cathedral) that was saved for later restoration.<ref name="obit - Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland" />

===Later career===
Upon returning from Europe, Steer rejoined the [Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland](/source/Royal_Commission_on_the_Ancient_and_Historical_Monuments_of_Scotland). He worked on the archaeology of [Roxburghshire](/source/Roxburghshire), [Selkirkshire](/source/Selkirkshire) and [Stirlingshire](/source/Stirlingshire).<ref name="obit - Times" /> He used his experience of using [aerial photography](/source/aerial_photography) for military intelligence, and applied it to his civilian career, discovering many unknown sites.<ref name="obit - Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland" /> From 1950 to 1955, he worked on the RCAHMS survey of 'marginal lands' in Scotland that were at threat from encroaching agricultural development.<ref name="obit - Times" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Marginal Land Survey|url=http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/event/918872/|publisher=Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland|accessdate=9 June 2014|archive-date=7 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607061405/http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/event/918872/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1957, he was appointed Secretary, the Chief executive, of the RCAHMS.<ref name="obit - scotsman" />

He gave the Horsley Lecture of the [Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne](/source/Society_of_Antiquaries_of_Newcastle_upon_Tyne) in 1964 and the [Rhind Lecture](/source/Rhind_Lecture) for the [Society of Antiquaries of Scotland](/source/Society_of_Antiquaries_of_Scotland) in 1968. He served as President of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland between 1972 and 1975.<ref name="obit - Times" />

==Honours and decorations==
In April 1946, he was [Mentioned in Dispatches](/source/Mentioned_in_Dispatches) 'in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in North-West Europe'.<ref name="LG 2 April 1946">{{London Gazette |issue=37521 |date=2 April 1946 |pages=1672–1713  |supp=y }}</ref> For his service during World War II, he received the following [campaign medal](/source/campaign_medal)s; the [1939–1945 Star](/source/1939%E2%80%931945_Star), the [Italy Star](/source/Italy_Star), the [France and Germany Star](/source/France_and_Germany_Star), and the [War Medal 1939–1945](/source/War_Medal_1939%E2%80%931945).

In the 1978 [New Year Honours](/source/New_Year_Honours), he was appointed [Commander of the Order of the British Empire](/source/Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire) (CBE) in recognition of his service as Secretary of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland.<ref name="LG 30 December 1977">{{London Gazette |issue=47418 |date=30 December 1977 |pages=8–9  |supp=y }}</ref> He was an elected [Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London](/source/Fellow_of_the_Society_of_Antiquaries_of_London) (FSA) and [of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland](/source/Fellow_of_the_Society_of_Antiquaries_of_Scotland) (FSA Scot).<ref name="WWW">{{cite web |title=Steer, Kenneth Arthur |url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-36087 |website=[Who Was Who](/source/Who_Was_Who) |publisher=Oxford University Press |accessdate=19 November 2018 |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U36087 |date=1 December 2016|isbn=978-0-19-954089-1 }}</ref>

==References==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Steer, Kenneth}}
Category:1913 births
Category:2007 deaths
Category:Military personnel from South Yorkshire
Category:People from Rotherham
Category:Royal Artillery soldiers
Category:Intelligence Corps officers
Category:Monuments men
Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Category:People educated at Wath Academy
Category:Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London
Category:Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
Category:Alumni of St Chad's College, Durham
Category:20th-century British archaeologists
Category:British Army personnel of World War II

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kenneth Steer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Steer) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Steer?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.