|
Welcome,
Guest
|
TOPIC:
John Greenwood of the Highland Light Infantry 9 years 6 days ago #26917
|
John Greenwood
Private, Highland Light Infantry - Anglo Boer War Private, Cameron Highlanders - WWI - Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony and South Africa 1902 to 2414 Pte. J. Greenwood, Highland L.I. - 1914/15 Star to S/10569, Pte. J. Greenwood, Cam’n Highrs. - British War Medal to S/10569, Pte. J. Greenwood, Cam’n Highrs. - Victory Medal to S/10569, Pte. J. Greenwood, Cam’n Highrs. John Greenwood was born on 22 September 1880 in the Parish of Tamlaght o’Crilly in Kilrea, County Derry, in what is now Northern Ireland the son of an agricultural labourer, Samuel Greenwood and his wife Dorothea, born French. At some stage in time, like many others, he made his way to the mainland of Great Britain in search of employment and a better life. The first sight we have of him is in the 1901 Scotland census where he is a Boarder in the house of Bella Lambie at 64 Baird’s Square in Holytown, Lanarkshire. Greenwood, at the age of 20, was employed as a Coal Miner. His family appear to have remained behind in Ireland whilst he sought his fortune. 1901 was also the year when the realisation dawned on the British public that the Anglo Boer War which had been raging for 18 months wasn’t about to end as soon as was expected. Word would have spread, even to remote areas of the Kingdom like Lanarkshire, that there was a need for fighting men in South Africa and it was possibly this that spurred Greenwood on to attest for service with the Militia, in this case the 4th Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry on 25 May of that year. Completing the forms at Hamilton he confirmed that he was 20 years of age and that he was a Miner employed at No. 4 Pit, Thankerton Colliery. Physically he was 5 feet 6 ½ inches and weighed 133 pounds. He had a fresh complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair and was a member of the Presbyterian Church. (His family back in Ireland were all Church of Ireland but when in Rome...) Having been passed as Fit for the army he was posted to the 4th Battalion as a Private with no. 2414 where he was fully embodied on 17 December 1901. By this time he was already in South Africa and transferred to the 3rd Battalion on 23 December of that year. Greenwood was too late into the fray to have taken part in the early seminal battles of the war but he did see action in the Cape Colony which is the clasp he won to his Queens Medal, along with the South Africa 1902 clasp. All told he was in South Africa for a period of 270 days, until 19 September 1902. Having been returned to Scotland he continued with the H.L.I. until 22 May 1907 when he was discharged, time expired. What happened in Greenwood’s life after this period is unknown but it can be imagined that he returned to his life as a Coal Miner. The 4th August 1914 brought with it the dawn of the Great War and no one in the United Kingdom was to be left untouched by this terrible holocaust. At the age of 35 Greenwood enlisted with the 6th (Service) Battalion, Cameron Highlanders for service and was drafted to France on 9 July 1915 with no. S/10569 and the rank of Private. The 6th Battalion had been formed at Inverness in September 1914 and came under orders of the 45th Brigade in the 15th (Scottish) Division. They had moved to Basingstoke in February of 1915 and then on to Chisledon in April before landing at Bologne in France. Greenwood survived the war although his papers did not and all we know is that he was transferred to the Class Z Reserve on 22 February 1919. For his contribution to the war he was awarded the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. The General Officer Commanding the 52nd Lowland Division requesting the issue of these medals in 1920. 
|
|
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation. |
Moderators: djb
Time to create page: 0.379 seconds
- You are here:
-
ABW home page
-
Forum
-
Anglo Boer War (1899-1902)
-
Medals and awards
- John Greenwood of the Highland Light Infantry