Pte 36398 Dan Greenwood

• Age: 29
• From: Bolton, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Monday 6th May 1918
• Commemorated at: La Clytte Mil Cem
  Panel Ref: V.F.11

Dan Greenwood was born in about June 1888, the son of Daniel Greenwood and Maria (née Helliwell).  His father, from Halliwell, Lancashire, and his mother, from Yorkshire, married in Yorkshire in 1878 and had 11 children, all born in Bolton.  Dan had older siblings Dawson, Sarah, William, James, and Lily, and younger siblings Martha, Clara, Elsie (died at age 1), Joseph, and Frank. 

In 1891 the family is living at 18 Hennon Street, Halliwell, Bolton, with eight children. His father and Dawson, 11, are employed in a cotton mill. 

When Dan was 11, in 1899, his father died, aged 42, leaving Maria with the youngest one year old and five children under 10.

In 1901 his widowed mother, 42, is still living at 18 Hennessy Street, with ten children. The six older children work in a cotton mill.  Dan, although only 12 years old, is working as a piecer.

1911 finds his mother Maria at the same address, with seven children and grandson John Corrigan, age 1. Except for James, 26, who is a labourer in an iron foundry, and Frank, 12, at school, Dan and his siblings are employed in cotton mills. Dan, 22, is a piecer, Dawson is 31, Martha 20, Clara 18, and Joseph is 13.

Dan was a witness at his brother James’ marriage in April 1913; the other witness was Ellen Norris, sister of the bride.

His eldest brother Dawson died in 1915 age 36, and his sister Clara in 1916 aged 23.

Dan married Ellen Norris in Whitchurch, Shropshire in the September quarter of 1916.  As Ellen was born in Bolton, it is not known why they married in Whitchurch.  No children were born to the marriage.

Prior to enlisting Dan had been employed at Haslam Spinning Co. Ltd, Halliwell. 

He enlisted in Bolton, and was serving in the 18^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 36398 when he was killed in action on the 6^th May 1918 aged 29 during the German Spring Offensive.

Dan was buried close to where he fell and his grave marked with a cross. After the Armistice, in October 1919 his body was removed and reinterred in La Clytte Military Cemetery, Flanders where he now rests.  

The first burial in the cemetery took place on the 01st November 1914, and between that date and April 1918, Plots I, II and III and part of Plot IV were filled. The hamlet of La Clytte was used as Brigade Headquarters, and the burials were carried out by Infantry, Artillery and Engineer units (out of 600, 250 are those of Artillery personnel and 66 are those of Engineers).

After the Armistice Plot IV was completed, and Plots V and VI formed by the concentration of isolated graves and small graveyards from the area round Reninghelst, Dickebusch, Locre and Kemmel.

There are now 1,082 casualties of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 238 of the burials are unidentified and one of the graves, brought in from LEICESTER CAMP CEMETERY (a group of 17 graves on the road to Reninghelst), is marked with the names of two men between whom the identification rests. Other special memorials commemorate casualties known to have been buried in the cemetery, but whose graves could not be located.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

Details of his loss was reported in the Bolton Journal on 21st June 1918:

"Pte.Dan Greenwood.King's Liverpool Regt.,was killed on May 6th,after being at the front two years.Aged 29, he was, before enlisting,employed by the Haslam Spinning Co.,Ltd.,Halliwell,and his name is on the Roll of Honour at St.Thomas's School,Haliwell.His wife lives at 20, Grasmere-st.,Bolton". 

His name appeared in the list of K.L.R. Killed published in the Weekly Casualty List on 25th June 1918.

His widow Ellen, at 5 Herbert Street, Bolton, received Dan’s Army effects and was awarded a pension of 13/9d a week.  Later her address was changed to 20 Grasmere Street. She married William Kay in November 1919 and had a family.  In October 1920 Ellen received the War Gratuity of £9. She died in Bolton in 1975.

His mother died in 1927, aged 68.

We currently have no further information on Dan Greenwood. If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.