CLAUDE PERCY GREEKS
REGIMENTAL NO. 39799
3 AUGUST 1889 - 4 AUGUST 1917
Claude Percy Greeks was two years younger than his brother Raynor, and was the youngest of the three sons. Claude was born in Wellington and attended Vogeltown School (later renamed Brooklyn School) between 1895 and 1905.
Like his father and brothers, Claude enjoyed sports. He scored a try for the winning team, Ohiro Baptist Bible Class, when they competed against Vivian St Baptist in 1904; he came second in a 220yds Public School Championships race in 1905. In 1908 the Brooklyn Football club presented him with a medal as being the most improved player for that season. When his employment with the Kaiapoi Woollen Mills took him to Christchurch he played for, and later captained the Linwood team. Returning to Wellington he played in the Melrose Senior Fifteen and even represented Wellington against Southland at the age of eighteen.
At the time of enlistment, 10 October 1916, Claude was single, living with family in Jefferson St, Brooklyn and was a permanent employee of the Wellington Harbour Board where he was a storeman. His previous employer, Kaiapoi Woollen Company, probably made the fabric for his military uniform. He was described as having a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He was 5ft 5ins tall and weighed 154lbs. The medical officer noted his apparent age as 17, although Claude was actually 27. Claude had been turned down as medically unfit in October 1915 due to issues with his teeth, a common problem at the time - by 1916 this problem had been resolved.
Following initial military training at Tauherenikau Camp, Claude embarked with the 22nd reinforcements, Wellington Infantry Regiment, B Company on the HMNZTS 76, S.S. Aparima, on 16 February, 1917. During the trip Claude took part in a football match between the North and South islanders – members of the teams were all senior players and included one ex All Black – Claude played five-eighths. The ship arrived at Devonport, England, on 2 May 1917 and troops marched to Sling camp the same day.
After only a short further training period Claude left for France on 6 June and marched into camp at Etaples on 25 June. Here, he was transferred to the Canterbury Infantry Regiment and was sent to the front line to advance on and capture Messines. In this they were successful, and were soon after relieved for a short time. On returning to the front Claude was involved in the attack on the Ypres Salient which started on 1 August. His involvement was though short lived as he was killed in action on 4 August. Records don’t reveal how he was killed but it is most likely he was blown up, as he has no known grave.
His name is recorded on the Messines Ridge (New Zealand) Memorial to the Missing. The MESSINES RIDGE (NEW ZEALAND) MEMORIAL stands within Messines Ridge British Cemetery and commemorates over 800 soldiers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who died in or near Messines in 1917 and 1918 and who have no known grave. Claude had just turned 28, and had been a soldier for exactly 269 days, most of which was spent training and in transit.
His medals, The British War Medal and the Victory Medal, were later sent to his parents. Two months after Claude’s death, his brother Raynor also died as a result of gunshot wounds.
Research conducted by Liz Franks with supplementary input from Barbara Mulligan.
Sources:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Casualty Details
Military Personnel File, Archives NZ
NZSG school records
PapersPast:
Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 57, 7 March 1908, Page 2
Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 67, 19 March 1917, Page 2
Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 46, 23 August 1917, Page 8
Free Lance, Volume XVII, Issue 895, 31 August 1917, Page 12
The Moa: the Journal of the Twenty Seconds on the troop ship “Aparima” (No 76) – Collections and Research, Auckland War Memorial Museum
REGIMENTAL NO. 39799
3 AUGUST 1889 - 4 AUGUST 1917
Claude Percy Greeks was two years younger than his brother Raynor, and was the youngest of the three sons. Claude was born in Wellington and attended Vogeltown School (later renamed Brooklyn School) between 1895 and 1905.
Like his father and brothers, Claude enjoyed sports. He scored a try for the winning team, Ohiro Baptist Bible Class, when they competed against Vivian St Baptist in 1904; he came second in a 220yds Public School Championships race in 1905. In 1908 the Brooklyn Football club presented him with a medal as being the most improved player for that season. When his employment with the Kaiapoi Woollen Mills took him to Christchurch he played for, and later captained the Linwood team. Returning to Wellington he played in the Melrose Senior Fifteen and even represented Wellington against Southland at the age of eighteen.
At the time of enlistment, 10 October 1916, Claude was single, living with family in Jefferson St, Brooklyn and was a permanent employee of the Wellington Harbour Board where he was a storeman. His previous employer, Kaiapoi Woollen Company, probably made the fabric for his military uniform. He was described as having a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He was 5ft 5ins tall and weighed 154lbs. The medical officer noted his apparent age as 17, although Claude was actually 27. Claude had been turned down as medically unfit in October 1915 due to issues with his teeth, a common problem at the time - by 1916 this problem had been resolved.
Following initial military training at Tauherenikau Camp, Claude embarked with the 22nd reinforcements, Wellington Infantry Regiment, B Company on the HMNZTS 76, S.S. Aparima, on 16 February, 1917. During the trip Claude took part in a football match between the North and South islanders – members of the teams were all senior players and included one ex All Black – Claude played five-eighths. The ship arrived at Devonport, England, on 2 May 1917 and troops marched to Sling camp the same day.
After only a short further training period Claude left for France on 6 June and marched into camp at Etaples on 25 June. Here, he was transferred to the Canterbury Infantry Regiment and was sent to the front line to advance on and capture Messines. In this they were successful, and were soon after relieved for a short time. On returning to the front Claude was involved in the attack on the Ypres Salient which started on 1 August. His involvement was though short lived as he was killed in action on 4 August. Records don’t reveal how he was killed but it is most likely he was blown up, as he has no known grave.
His name is recorded on the Messines Ridge (New Zealand) Memorial to the Missing. The MESSINES RIDGE (NEW ZEALAND) MEMORIAL stands within Messines Ridge British Cemetery and commemorates over 800 soldiers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who died in or near Messines in 1917 and 1918 and who have no known grave. Claude had just turned 28, and had been a soldier for exactly 269 days, most of which was spent training and in transit.
His medals, The British War Medal and the Victory Medal, were later sent to his parents. Two months after Claude’s death, his brother Raynor also died as a result of gunshot wounds.
Research conducted by Liz Franks with supplementary input from Barbara Mulligan.
Sources:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Casualty Details
Military Personnel File, Archives NZ
NZSG school records
PapersPast:
Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 57, 7 March 1908, Page 2
Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 67, 19 March 1917, Page 2
Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 46, 23 August 1917, Page 8
Free Lance, Volume XVII, Issue 895, 31 August 1917, Page 12
The Moa: the Journal of the Twenty Seconds on the troop ship “Aparima” (No 76) – Collections and Research, Auckland War Memorial Museum