Henry Greener
J.W. Greener Craghead Churchyard
Greener family headstone
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Henry Greener was born 1894 in Craghead, County Durham, one of 7 children, 3 boys, 2 girls and 2 deceased, born to Henry Greener 1864 Lanchester and Annie Clara Rishton of Rochdale, Lancashire. Henry and Annie were married in the district of Lanchester, June 1890, setting up home at 2 Thomas Street, Craghead, later moving to Edward Street. Henry was employed at the colliery as a clerk all his working life, Henry junior, in 1911, at the age of 17, was working his apprenticeship at the colliery to become a surveyor.
Henry Greener’s full service history was one of many destroyed during the blitz of WW2, however, he enlisted in the Durham Light Infantry, rank unknown and was assigned to the 1/6th Battalion. The 1/6th was Territorial Battalion raised in Bishop Auckland, August 1914, moved to Bolden Colliery, then to Ravensworth Park and was in Newcastle upon Tyne by October. They departed from Newcastle railway station April 19th 1915 and within days landed in Boulogne where they were attached to the 151st Brigade, 50th Northumbrian Division. They engaged the enemy within days on the Ypres salient and Armentieres. By June 3rd 1915 they had sustained such heavy losses that the 1/6th and 1/8th merged for a short time until August 11th 1915 when both battalions were back to full strength with the arrival of reinforcements. They were moved south to join the Battle of the Somme in September 1916 taking part in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette and the Battle of Warlencourt, 1917 the battalion fought in the Battles of Arras. 2nd Lieutenant Henry Greener Durham Light Infantry was killed, April 14th 1917 on the last day of the First Battle of the Scarpe in the trenches running between Wancourt and Feuchy.
2nd Lieutenant Greener has a special memorial, along with 76 other servicemen at Wancourt Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France, known or believed to be buried there, III. F. 1. He was 23 years old and single. His younger brother John William also served and died at home March 6th 1919.
His father received the sum of £69 11s 3d as monies owed to him and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal, sent to his home address of 1, Shafto Terrace, Craghead.
Henry Greener senior died January 24th 1945 at 'Holmside' Park Road South, Chester le Street, leaving the sum of £1792 14s to his youngest and only surviving son, Herbert, a stationer and newsagent and William Gibbon a colliery clerk. His wife Annie Clara died January 19th 1947, also in Chester le Street. Their daughter Lilian Greener born 8th September 1907 died 20th March 2002. They are all buried beside John William at St. Thomas graveyard Craghead. Henry's name has been added to John William's military headstone at the request of his father, who paid 19 shillings and 10 pence, the dedication reads,”Also In Memory Of 2/Lieut. Henry Greener, D. L. I. K. In A. 14th April 1917 Wancourt Cemetery."
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
The Chester-le-Street Chronicle 27/04/1917 reports:-Official news has been received by Mr and Mrs Henry Greener of Shafto Terrace Craghead of the death of their son Second Lieutenant Henry Greener, D.L.I.. The deceased was a keen athlete and a playing member of South Moor Cricket Club. He was also a member of the Stanley Hockey Team. In civil life he was an assistant mining surveyor under the South Moor Collieries Company Ltd.
Henry Greener is remembered at Craghead on C120.01, C120.02, C120.04, C120.07 and the Furnishings in the Methodist Church C120.08, at Chester-le-Street C105.14 and at South Moor S129.01, in Gateshead on G39.030 and in the D.L.I. Book of Remembrance
