Name: Roy Harry Greenwood
Awards: 1914 - 15 Star, British War Medal 1914 - 1920, Victory Medal,
Biographical Details:
Roy Harry Greenwood was the youngest of five children born to Cecil Danforth Greenwood and Annie Beatrice Jenkinson. He was born at Ashburton, New Zealand, in 1896, two years after his family had moved there from England. Roy’s mother died a month later and his father, a doctor, remarried in 1898. The Greenwoods moved to Queensland where Roy enlisted. Roy’s two older brothers enlisted with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Both were killed.
Unlike many of the Black ANZACs, Roy led a faultless life in the AIF but like many of them he was hospitalised on several occasions – the first time at Gallipoli when he suffered frost bite. He was returned to Heliopolis and eventually rejoined his unit in February after the 26th Battalion had returned to Egypt.
Soon after returning from special leave in London Roy was wounded and he was initially reported as having Died of Wounds. He returned to the field in time for the Battle at Pozieres where he was wounded again. He was wounded a third time late 1918 and was still recovering when the war ended.
During the Trench Raid Roy was a member of the Left Blocking Party. Their task made more hazardous when it was discovered that the communication trench they were assigned to block was little more than a thatch-screened track and therefore open to fire from the sides as well as ahead.
Roy quickly promoted through non-commissioned ranks and in 1917 was appointed the Company Quartermaster Sergeant (QMS). Soon after he was sent to a Cadet Training School at Oxford University and after graduating was appointed 2nd Lieutenant. He was made Lieutenant in 1918.
In October 1918 Roy received a GSW to his right elbow and forearm and was in England when Armistice was announced.
Roy was returned to Australia and discharged in Queensland in 1919. He met and married Helen Archdall in 1921 and at some stage moved to NSW where his father, step-mother and half-brother were then living. Roy and Helen had two children.
Roy Harry Greenwood died in 1970. His wife died in 1975.