Edward James Greening

GREENING, Edward James- – – – SPC 1914

DoB:– – 1905, Geetho, Gippsland, VIC

Father:– – Edward James Greening

Mother:- – Amy Isabel, nee Kenny

Edward Greening was a boarder from the Melbourne suburb of Moonee Ponds.

Service No:– 3400

Rank:– – Private

Unit:– – 57th Battalion

Edward Greening enlisted on 30 April 1917, giving his date of birth as 27 January 1901, in Carlton, Victoria. The College suspects that he lied about his true age, as his death certificate indicates that he was born in 1905. He was a single man whose occupation was clerk.- He was five feet, five inches tall, with a medium complexion, hazel eyes and black hair. He nominated his mother as his next of kin, as his father’s whereabouts was unknown at the time of his enlistment.

Private Greening embarked on 21 June 1917 from Melbourne aboard the Suevic. He disembarked at Liverpool, England and underwent further training before proceeding overseas to France on 1 January 1918. He was attached to the 57th Battalion.

While in France he sustained a gunshot wound to his head on 11 March 1918 and was evacuated to England to the Military Hospital in Kent. He remained in the UK, and in December 1918 he was transferred to the AIF Depot in Tidworth.

On 24 July 1919, Private Greening returned to Australia aboard the Bakara, arriving in Melbourne on 27 September 1919. He was discharged on 27 October of that year.

Edward settled into civilian life back in Melbourne. In 1941 he married Marie Cunningham in East St Kilda, at the age of 36. They lived in Coburg and Edward worked as a spray painter. They had one daughter.

Edward died on 27 June 1970, aged 65. He was buried at the Fawkner Cemetery.