Name: Charles Greenaway
Awards: 1914 - 15 Star, British War Medal 1914 - 1920, Victory Medal, Military Medal
Biographical Details:
Charles Thomas Greenaway was born in Dalmorton, New South Wales in 1893. He was one of thirteen children raised by a widower father. When a ten year old he was found wandering the streets and was eventually committed to Sobraon, a Nautical School Ship for wayward and neglected youths.
When he enlisted Charles had been working as a labourer. He sailed from Brisbane on the Ascanius on 24th May but was not attested until 23rd June, long after the Ascanius had departed Fremantle.
Charles’s service was interesting. He was AWL twice for which he was given detention, Field Punishment and forfeiture of pay. Soon after returning from furlough in England Charles suffered the first of three episodes of VD (Gonorrhoea) which saw him hospitalised for a total of 103 days.
During the June trench raid Charles was part of Sgt Smart’s Left Blocking Party.
Charles was wounded on two occasions, the first with a Gun Shot Wound (GSW) to a shoulder. On the second occasion he suffered a GSW to his left wrist. In July 1917 he was treated for trench fever.
On 29th August 1918 Charles was recommended for the Military Medal:
During the advance to the Somme near Peronne on 29/8/18 this N.C.O. showed great gallantry. He led a small party forward when the advance was temporarily hung up, and captured the enemy machine gun and twelve prisoners. On reaching the river he pushed forward over the canal under machine gun and shell fire, and mopped up two more machine guns and killed several more of the enemy.
The recommendation was confirmed and eventually gazetted late 1919.
In May 1940, Charles re-enlisted in the 2/33rd Battalion. He was discharged in 1943 at the age of 50. He also married Eliza Green in 1943. There is no record of them having children.
In 1952 Charles was goaled for twelve months for indecently assaulting an eleven-year-old boy.
Charles Greenaway died at Kyogle, New South Wales in 1957.