Brass Trench Art photo frame, memory of "Lens", with a photo of my Grandfather Sidney Thomas Walker Greenhill 1888 - 1942
Born on 1st September 1888, my Grandfather enlisted at the outbreak of World War 1, on 26 August 1914, aged 26, as
STK 415 Private S. T. W. Greenhill. He began army service as a groom/valet for Brigadier General Robert White, 10th Royal Fusiliers Battalion. In October 1914 he went on a two week training course at the Army School of Cooking in Aldershot, and left with an exam pass mark of 97% ..........
In July 1915 he was sent to France, where he served in the Regimental Transport Division under Major Raymond Boileau. After only eight weeks there, he was injured when a dug-out collapsed on him, causing shell shock, spinal injuries and damage to one of his hands. Like many others, he was sent to the General Hospital in Etaples and from there on 21 October 1915 returned to England to the Minster Auxiliary Hospital near Ramsgate, Kent..........
In December 1915 he transferred to the Central Military Hopital, Shorncliffe, near Folkestone, Kent (later named No. 9 Canadian General Hospital) and was discharged for ten days' leave on Christmas Eve 1915..........
After a positive Medical Examination on 7 January 1916, Sidney was appointed as temporary 2nd Lieutenant to the 13th Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derbyshire Regiment) on 16 January 1916, and as part of the Young Officers Company was sent on an Officers Training Course at Keeble College, Oxford University O.T.C. He completed training successfully but in March 1916 the Medical Officer there decided his Trench disabilities would prevent him from enacting Officer duties and ruled he was unfit even for "light duties".........
Being declared "permanently unfit", he was required to relinquish his commission, and it was recommended he would be suitable as an Army Transport Officer in training matters in view of his experience in the Regimental Transport Division.
Subsequently, he was awarded injury compensation (see the two War Office documents below this photo of Sidney's war medals:)
