Allan Greening (buried 1917)

Allan's father Joseph was an agricultural labourer and his mother was Hannah nee Smith. She was Joseph's first wife. They lived at Coddington near Ledbury in Herefordshire. At the age of 18, Allan enlisted in the Army on 12th April 1878. He joined the 22nd Infantry Brigade and was given the regimental number 1221. He is described as having a fresh complexion, a 35 inch chest, height 5ft 6ins. He had blue eyes, light brown hair and weighed 64lbs. He had no smallpox marks. At the age of 23, Private Greening was now in the 38th Brigade of 99th Regiment (Fusiliers) with a new regimental number 2180. He had been transferred in December 1878 and his service record shows that he then served in South Africa for just over a year, then in Bermuda for about 14 months, then back to South Africa for another 19 months and finally to India where he arrived on 26th January 1882. While he was in India, his medical record shows that he was treated for gonorrhea between 14th November and 11 December 1883. He was then treated for primary Syphilis in July 1884 and for a secondary infection in October 1884. In Peshawar he appeared before a medical board on 14th February 1887, the result of which was a recommendation that he be discharged as medically unfit for further service. With almost 3 years service back in Britain, it was agreed that Allan had fulfilled the required 10 years and was entitled to a pension. He left the Army in April 1890. In April 1894, Allan married Sarah Reeves in Portsea, Hampshire. They moved to Worthing in about 1896. They had no children. Allan died on 30th March 1917 of a cerebral haemorrhage at the workhouse infirmary at East Preston. Probate was granted on 30th May to Sarah Greening widow. Effects £319 6s.