GREENHALGH, James
| Service Numbers: | 1061, 2071 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 April 1915, 5th Reinforcements |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 20th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Ravensworth, New South Wales, Australia, 14 July 1888 |
| Home Town: | Singleton, Northumberland, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Singleton, New South Wales, Australia, 9 November 1969, aged 81 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Singleton War Memorial, Warkworth Public School Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Apr 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1061, 20th Infantry Battalion, 5th Reinforcements | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Apr 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2071, 2nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 13 Apr 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2071, 2nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Kyarra embarkation_ship_number: A55 public_note: '' This seems highly unlikely he had only been enlisted 6 days!!! | |
| 24 Apr 1915: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 20th Infantry Battalion, It is unlikely that he embarked with the 2nd Battalion. He would not have been transferred mid-ocean | |
| 25 Jun 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1061, 20th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Berrima embarkation_ship_number: A35 public_note: '' | |
| 14 May 1917: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 1061, 20th Infantry Battalion |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by David Greenhalgh
Jim Greenhalgh enlisted in the 2nd battalion on 7/4/15 but transferred to the 20th battalion on 22/4/15. He landed at Gallipoli on 22/8/15, staying until the evacuation. After various stays in hospital, he rejoined the battalion in July 1916. He fought at Pozieres, but returned to hospital not long afterwards and was discharged medically unfit in May 1917.
His army file speaks of nystagmus being the main health problem, possibly caused by a gas shell. But when he returned to his home town of Singleton, the local newspaper (presumably having obtained the information from the Greenhalgh family) said that he'd had shell shock. There is no mention of that condition anywhere in his army file.
Jim Greenhalgh's letters, which are held by the AWM (ref MSS1647) show him to have been very unhappy about his war service, right from the start. This culminated in an extemely anguished letter to his family on 3/8/1916, the night before he went into battle at Pozieres. Perhaps he did indeed have shell shock.
Jim Greenhalgh did not talk about the war after he returned to Australia. He became an orchardist near Singleton, NSW, died in 1969, and is buried in a small country churchyard north of Singleton.
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