Name
Leonard Greenhill
1895
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
01/04/1918
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Gunner
57565
Royal Garrison Artillery
37th Siege Bty.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HARINGHE (BANDAGHEM) MILITARY CEMETERY
II. A. 20.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
ONE OF THE DEAREST, ONE OF THE BEST GOD GRANT TO HIM ETERNAL REST
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, St John the Evangelist Church Memorial, Boxmoor
Pre War
Leonard Greenhill was born on 30 April 1895 in Hemel Hempstead, Herts, the son of William and Maria Greenhill and one of eleven children, although four of them died in childhood.
Leonard was educated at Boxmoor School from 1900 for seven years. On the 1901 Census the family were living at Chaulden Lane, Boxmooor, Hemel Hempstead, where his father was working as a Cattleman on a Farm. The remained at Chaulden Cottages in 1911 by which time Leonard was working as a Gardener.
They family later lived at 75 Horsecroft Road, Hemel Hempstead.
Wartime Service
At the outbreak of war, Leonard volunteered almost immediately and went to Hertford to enlist, with the Royal Garrison Artillery. He was sent for basic training to No. 1 Depot, Newhaven in November 1914, then being posted as a Gunner with the 37th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, which were at Lydd, Kent where he received specialist training with the 6 inch Howitzer.
He was sent overseas on 15 December 1915, leaving from Devonport and sailing to Egypt where he arrived at Port Said on 29 December 1915. After four months they were transferred to France and landed at Marseille in April 1916.
The Battery spent the rest of the war around the Franco-Belgian border. This continued into 1918 and during this time they were often shelled intermittently for several days and were not safe from enemy artillery. During one of these attacks, Leonard was wounded and taken to the 62nd Casualty Clearing Station where he died of his wounds on 1 April 1918, age 22. He is buried at Haringhe Military Cemetery, Belgium.
Additional Information
His father, W Greenhill, 75 Horsecroft Road, Boxmoor, Herts., ordered his headstone inscription: "ONE OF THE DEAREST, ONE OF THE BEST GOD GRANT TO HIM ETERNAL REST". His father William received a war gratuity of £11 10s and pay owing of £10 15s 1d. His mother received a pension of 5 shillings a week. His brother George served with the Royal Artillery and his brother Walter served with the Essex Regiment. Both survived the war.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.hemelatwar.org., www.dacorumheritage.org.uk, www.hemelheroes.com.
