Albert Edward Greenwood

ALBERT EDWARD GREENWOOD

Signaller 31662, 13th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment

Died 6th January 1919 aged 27

Buried Heckmondwike Cemetery

Son of Albert and Eliza Greenwood

Lived 74, Brighton Street, Heckmondwike

Albert Edward Greenwood was born in Heckmondwike on 24th October 1891 the eldest son of Albert Greenwood and Eliza Jane Townend who married at Thornhill on 26th December 1885. Albert Edward was baptized on 29th November 1891 at St. Saviours Parish Church in Heckmondwike. His father was a self employed Grocer, running a shop on Brighton Street.

Albert worked as a Pawnbroker and at the time of his enlistment he was working in Bradford city centre. He joined the York and Lancaster Regiment in February 1916, just a month short of his 26th birthday and was posted to France on the 3rd October of the same year.

After only 6 months of service Albert sustained a severe gunshot wound to his back and was evacuated back to England on 23rd May 1917 and was treated at the military hospital in Chorlton-cum-Hardy.

Three weeks later the army authorities received the first of a series of letters from the Rev Henderson, Vicar of Heckmondwike, requesting that Albert be discharged from the army as his father had become paralysed and he was needed to carry on the family business. The army replied that no decision could be taken regarding his release from military service until he was discharged from hospital.

He was medically discharged on 23rd January 1918 on a pension of 27sh/6d for the first 4 weeks, then 8sh/6d for 48 weeks, after which it would be reviewed.

Albert returned home to Brighton Street to help with the family business. In 1918 he married a local girl called Adelaide Clegg. They had no children and Albert died on 6th January 1919 at 74, Brighton Street. He was interred in the family grave in Heckmondwike Cemetery on the 10th January.

Commemorated: Heckmondwike War Memorial & Vellum Roll; St. Saviours Church Memorial now held in St. James Church

Medals: Victory, British and Silver War Badge{PL/KH-061}

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