Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Albert George Greenaway was born in 1890, at Yarrawonga, Victoria. His father, George (1868 to 1931), was 22 and his mother, Eleanor, nee Baton (1871 to 1940), was 19.

He married Mary Ann Amelia Densley (1895 to 1964) on 4 October, 1915, at Wangaratta, Victoria. The Saturday 9 October edition of the Wangaratta Chronicle noted the wedding;

GREENAWAY - DENSLEY
“On Monday the marriage was celebrated at Holy Trinity Cathedral by Rev. Mr. Stannage, of Miss Mary Densley, daughter of Mr. H. Densley, of Wilby, and Mr. Herbert Greenaway, only son of Mr. G. Greenaway, of Bundalong South. Miss L. Densley was bridesmaid, and Mr. H. W. Everett best man. The wedding breakfast was served by Mrs Everett at her residence, Killawarra.”

Albert enlisted in the AIF at Corryong, Victoria, on the 12 August, 1915, nearly two months prior to marrying Mary. He was given the service number 2123 and originally placed on strength with the 15th Reinforcements for the 8th Light Horse Regiment.

Upon enlistment, Albert was a 23-year-old farmhand working at Corryong. He was 5 foot 8 inches tall (173 cm) and weighed 10 stone 5 lbs (66 kg). His complexion was given as sallow, eyes brown and hair light brown. Albert’s records show that he had three distinctive vaccination marks on his left arm, and moles on his neck, right shin and right shoulder blade. Albert’s religious denomination was given as Church of England.

Albert’s enlistment papers contain a number of puzzles. The first is that they state that both parents were deceased, whereas records from other sources clearly show that Albert’s parents did not pass away until the 1930’s and 40’s. The second puzzle is that a handwritten comment on an application in 1962 for benefits under the Repatriation Act state that Albert’s surname was actually Petterson but he had enlisted under the surname of Greenaway. Incidentally, his nominated next of kin on his attestation papers was an aunt, Mrs Hariet Petterson of Corryong, Victoria.

Albert was sent to the training camp at Seymour in Victoria. On the 7 April, 1916, he embarked on HMAT A43 Barunga at Port Melbourne and sailed for Egypt. Upon arriving at Tel-el-Kebir he was taken on strength with the 3rd Training Battalion before being transferred to the 11th Company, of the Imperial Camel Corp, stationed at Abbassia. One more transfer took place on 11 November, 1916, when he was taken on strength with the 3rd Anzac Battalion, Imperial Camel Brigade of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. He would remain with this unit for approximately seven months.

On the 21 May, 1917, Albert was admitted to a number of hospitals to be treated for tonsillitis. This condition would keep him in hospital until late June 1917, when he was discharged from hospital and posted to No.3 Battery of the Anzac Reserve Brigade.

This last post was short-lived, as he was transferred to 15th Light Horse. This Regiment was formed in Palestine after the Imperial Camel Corps was disbanded. It was thought that camels were not suited for the conditions being encountered in Palestine.

The 15th Light Horse, as part of the 5th Light Horse Brigade, fought in only one major operation. This was the great offensive launched by the battle of Megiddo on 19 September, 1918. The opening of a gap by British infantry in the Turkish front to the north of Jaffa, allowed mounted troops to penetrate deep into the Turkish rear areas. This resulted in the severing of roads and communications links and caused the Turkish front to collapse. In ten days the 5th Light Horse Brigade advanced over 650 kilometres, entering Damascus on the 1 October, 1918. The Brigade was moving forward towards Aleppo when Turkey surrendered on 30 October.

While waiting to sail home, the 15th Light Horse were called back for operational duty to stop the Egyptian revolt that had erupted in early March of 1919. Law and order were restored in a little over a month.

Albert would remain with this unit until he was detached to the Headquarters of the Australian Division at Moascar on the 27 March, 1919. Four months later, Albert embarked on the HT Dongola at Kantara and sailed back home to Australia.

Not much is currently known about Albert upon his return from the war. It is known that the couple had three children, one boy, Albert Verdun (1916 to 1999) and two girls. Albert George passed away on the 12 April, 1981, at Lockhart, NSW and was buried alongside Mary, who had died seventeen years beforehand.

Extract from "Light Horsemen of the Upper Murray", Year 5 and 6 Project, Corryong College.