Harry Greenwood
Harry Greenwood | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 November 1881 Officer of the Order of the British Empire Military Cross |
OBE, MC (25 November 1881 – 5 May 1948) was a British Army officer and an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth
forces.
Early life
Greenwood was born in Victoria Barracks, Windsor, the eldest of nine children to Charles Greenwood and Margaret Abernethy.[1]
Military career
Greenwood was 36 years old, and an acting
First World War
, when he performed a deed for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
On 23 October 1918 at
Ovillers, France, when the advance of the battalion was checked by enemy machine gun fire, Lieutenant-Colonel Greenwood single-handedly rushed the position and killed the crew. Subsequently, accompanied by two runners, he took another machine-gun post, but then found that his command was almost surrounded by the enemy, who started to attack. Repulsing this attack, the colonel led his troops forward, capturing the last objective with 150 prisoners, eight machine guns, and one field gun. On 24 October he again inspired his men to such a degree that the last objective was captured and the line held in spite of heavy casualties.[2]
Later life
Greenwood died in
King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Museum in Doncaster
.
References
- ^ Windsor Council Archived 2012-12-24 at archive.today
- ^ "No. 31082". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 December 1918. p. 15117.
Further reading
- Valour Beyond All Praise: Harry Greenwood VC (Derek Hunt 2003)
External links
- News item "Harry Greenwood's Victoria Cross donated to the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Museum"
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