GREER, Stafford John
| Service Number: | 2319 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 June 1916, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 42nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Ipswich, Queensland, Australia, 12 June 1891 |
| Home Town: | Kingaroy, South Burnett, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Butcher |
| Died: | Died of wounds, Warneton, France, 1 August 1917, aged 26 years |
| Cemetery: |
Trois Arbres Cemetery, Steenwerck, Nord Pas de Calais |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Brisbane 42nd Infantry Battalion AIF Roll of Honour, Murgon War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 19 Jun 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2319, Brisbane, Queensland | |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Oct 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2319, 42nd Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Boonah embarkation_ship_number: A36 public_note: '' | |
| 21 Oct 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2319, 42nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Boonah, Brisbane | |
| 31 Jul 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 2319, 42nd Infantry Battalion, Warneton |
Help us honour Stafford John Greer's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by John Edwards
"...2319 Private Stafford John Greer... enlisted in the AIF serving as 2319 Private (Pte) Greer, 42nd Battalion, of Brisbane, QLD. A butcher prior to enlistment, he embarked from Brisbane with the 4th Reinforcements on board HMAT Boonah (A36) on 21 October 1916. Pte Greer served on the Western Front and died of wounds at Warneton, Belgium on 1 August 1917, aged 26." - SOURCE (www.awm.gov.au)
Biography contributed by Ian Lang
#2319 GREER Stafford John 42nd Battalion
Stafford Greer was born to parents Stafford and Alice Greer in Ipswich on 12th June 1891. At the time of his enlistment, he was working as a butcher, perhaps in Kingaroy or Wondai and may also have been an amateur jockey at racecourses in the South Burnett.
Stafford presented himself to the Adelaide Street recruiting depot on 19th June 1916. He stated his occupation as butcher and age 25 years. He also stated that he was married to Margaret Greer. The Australian War Memorial has a photograph of Stafford and Margaret taken probably before he departed for overseas. Their daughter, Lillian looks to be about 18 months old. Stafford was described by some of his comrades as short and nuggety. His attestation papers record his height as 5’ 4”, which was the minimum height accepted into the AIF. It is likely that after Stafford enlisted, Margaret and Lillian went to live with friends or relatives in Brisbane.
Stafford was not taken on by the 11th Depot Battalion at Enoggera until 18th July, which probably gave him time to arrange his affairs. On 10th August, he was formally taken on by the 4th reinforcements of the 42ndBattalion. After period of pre-embarkation leave, during which Stafford and Margaret probably had the studio photo taken, the reinforcements boarded the “Boonah” in Brisbane for overseas. The embarkation roll shows that Stafford had allocated 3/- of his daily pay of 5/- to his wife.
The reinforcements landed in Plymouth on 10th January 1917 and then proceeded to the 11th Training Battalion at the 3rd Division Depot at Durrington. On 25th March, Stafford boarded a cross channel ferry at Folkstone for a crossing to France where he went into camp at the Australian depot at Etaples. While at Etaples, Stafford made out his will naming his wife as sole beneficiary. He left Etaples on 30th April and marched in to the 42nd Battalion lines the next day.
The 42nd battalion was part of the 3rd Division under Major General John Monash. The division had spent the entire year of 1916 training in either Australia of England. By the beginning of 1917, the 3rd Division was included in the planning for the opening of a new offensive in Belgian Flanders which was timed to commence on the 7th June 1917 at Messines Ridge. The 42nd battalion had primarily a support role at Messines but later that month relieved a number of battalions in rotations into the front line. The war diary for this period records an almost daily account of heavy artillery barrages.
In July, the area of operations for the 42nd was around Warneton and Ploegsteert (soldiers called it “plug street”). On the 31st July, the 42nd was involved in a diversionary assault. The war diary states this was a highly successful operation as the objective was reached, but at the cost of almost 200 casualties (normal battalion strength was around 900); of which 40 were killed and another 50 seriously wounded.
Stafford Greer was one of those seriously wounded. Reports from eye witnesses stated that the men of Stafford’s section were occupying a trench and had placed a number of bombs (grenades) on the parapet for easy reach in case of counterattack. A high explosive shell landed on the parapet and exploded the grenades. Stafford was taken out by stretcher bearers to the 11th Field Ambulance with shrapnel wounds to the head and back. He was moved on to the 2nd Casualty Clearing Station at Steenwerck where died the following day as a result of his wounds. Stafford was buried in the nearby Trois Arbres Cemetery with the Reverend Tucker officiating.
Margaret Greer received her husband’s personal effects which included a cigarette case, a damaged wrist watch and a fountain pen. Margaret was granted a widow’s pension of two pounds per fortnight and additional pound per fortnight for daughter Lillian. By that time, Margaret was living at Kitchener Road, Hendra.
When permanent headstones were being erected in war cemeteries, Margaret chose the following inscription:
SACRED TO THE MEMORY
OF MY BELOVED HUSBAND
FOREVER WITH THE LORD
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