Raymond Victor Steed (1 October 1928 – 26 April 1943) was the second youngest British services recruit to die during the Second World War.

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] He was previously described by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as "the youngest known British services death,"[1] but this was revised in February 2010, when it was confirmed Reginald Earnshaw was actually younger, at 14 years and 151 days.

[4][5] Raymond Steed, the son of steelworker Wilfred and his wife Olive (née Bright), was born on 1 October 1928, at Rimperley Terrace, St Mellons, Monmouthshire, Wales.

[3] 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,[8] started on 4 April 1943.

The ship sailed from Milford Haven on that day, loaded with military equipment destined for Casablanca and Gibraltar.

[2][7][10] Steed and Gardener were buried at Ben M'Sik European Cemetery in Casablanca, Morocco, on 29 April with full military honours.