Harrogate Herald - 8th December 1915

W H Breare letter

Sapper W E Greetham, Royal Fusiliers, Northern Signal Company, went out in April. August 16th he was attacked by enteric fever and sent to Malta the next day, where he remained for six weeks. He came to Cardiff Hospital for a week, and then went to Swansea Hospital for seven weeks. He has now arrived home, convalescent, and is just about right. In his company, at the Dardanelles, were Jack Pattison, Bob Johnson, Arthur Brogden, of the Post Office telephone department. There were also Billy Langley, Norman Pollard, and Jack Colbert; they were all right when he last saw them. Harry Brain saw Greetham's picture in the Herald, and so learnt where he was and went to see him. Greetham was not in when Brain "called" (reads like home civilities, doesn't it?), but left his address, and Greetham made a point of meeting him later.

Harrogate Herald - 9th January 1918

Roll of Honour

Mr and Mrs George Greetham, 5 Strawberrydale, Harrogate, have received notice of the death of their youngest son, Sapper William Ernest Greetham, at Hislop War Hospital, Bolarum, India. He mobilised with the 5th West Yorks in 1914, and transferred to the Royal Engineers (Cable Section) in November of the same year, and served in Gallipoli 1915, and Mesopotamia 1916 and 1917. He was trained at the Gibralti Barracks, Leeds. He was a member of St Luke's Church Choir, and was Scout leader of the YMCA 1st Harrogate Troop, with whom he was associated for a number of years under Scoutmaster George Dobson.

Photo Page

Died - Sapper W E Greetham, RE, son of Mr and Mrs G Greetham, 5 Strawberrydale, Harrogate, has died in hospital in India.

Harrogate Herald – 17th March 1920

[ Photo ]

Mr George Greetham, 5 Strawberry Dale, Harrogate, has received the certificate awarded to his late son, Sapper W E Greetham, who was mentioned in despatches and who died in India on December 15th, 1917. the certificate reads : "The War, 1914-1918. No. 72563 Sapper W E Greetham, attached to the Signal Service, Indian Army, who was mentioned in despatches from Lieutenant General Sir F S Maude, KCB, CMG, DSO, dated 10th April, 1917, for gallant and distinguished service in the field. I have had, under command from the King, to record His Majesty's high appreciation of the service rendered – Winston S Churchill, Secretary of State for War, War Office, Whitehall, SW, 1st March, 1919"

Sapper Greetham went out with the Territorials in 1914, the 5th West Yorks, and later transferred into the Signal Service, Royal Engineers. The honour was awarded to the deceased soldier for repairing telephone wires under fire during the entry of troops into Baghdad on March 11th, 1917.