South Staffordshire War Memorials

Major Frederic George Greenstreet

Frederick Greenstreet was born in Paddington, London on 7th March, 1881. He was the son of Col. W L Greenstreet, an officer in the Indian Army, and his wife Matilda and the grandson of Rev. W. Greenstreet, the Vicar of Pattingham during the second half of the 19th century.

His obituary in the Gloucester Echo of 29th January 1917 is informative:

MAJOR F. G. GREENSTREET.
Major Frederic George Greenstreet, Indian Infantry, killed on January 9th, was born in 1881, and educated at Dover College and Sandhurst. On leaving Sandhurst in 1900 he was posted to the Royal West Surrey Regiment and went to India in December of the same year. He joined the Indian Army in 1903, and was promoted captain in August 1909. Being in England on leave at the outbreak of the war, he was ordered to join the New Army, and became adjutant of a battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment, with which he went to France in August, 1915. He was ordered to return to India in March 1916, being sent thence to another front. Major Greenstone, who was promoted major last August, was the youngest son of Colonel W. L. Greenstreet, late R.E., and great-grandson of the late General John Greenstreet, H.E.I.C.S.

Major Greenstreet served with the 105th Mahratta Light Infantry, Indian Army. In August 1916 the regiment was sent to Mesopotamia where it took part in the Allied offensive towards Baghdad. On 8th January 1917, it was active in an attack on the Turkish position at the Abul Hassan Bend. Frederic Greenstreet died the following day, one of more than 200 casualties suffered by the regiment. He is commemorated on the Basra Memorial.

Major Frederick George Greenstreet, Indian Army, was awarded the Victory and British War Medals and the 1915 Star. He is also remembered on the 1950 war memorial at Compton Bassett, Wilts.