The son of Mr. Albert E and Margaret. Greenslade of 25 Scane St., Chatham, ON., the brother of Jack who enlisted in the First Kent before transferring to the RCAMC, was stationed in England in 1944  an other brother Harry, at home with the 2^nd Kents and a sister Phyllis.  William attended Queen Mary Public School and delivered the Chatham Daily News. 

William was one of the first to enlist from Chatham joining the Royal Canadian Regt. 3 November 1939 (the 325 enlistment in the RCR) at the age of 23 years old and by December was in England where he remained for training.

Bill and his brother Jack, the serving in the Highland Light Infantry (HLI), meet for the first time in three years. Jack first enlisted in the First Kents and transferred to the HLI for service overseas. Jack and his brother while he was in camp in England  before he shipped out to the Mediterranean theatre. 

Went overseas December 1939.   Bill thought that the whole army career was “pretty dull”. Even the five days he spent after the fall of Dunkirk. “A lot of people don’t  but a bunch of us were in France in June of 1940.”

He saw action with the RCR throughout Sicily and Italy until his wounding.  Wounded in Battle of Ortona February 1944 and lost a leg. Hospitalized fourteen months.

His parents received the following telegraph from the Director of Records:

 

“Regret to inform you that Pte. William James Greenslade is officially reported wounded in action February 8, 1944. Nature and extent of wounds not known. When addressing mail add the words in hospital after his unit to ensure quick delivery. Further information follows when received.”

It was assumed that he was wounded 8/02/44 while in Italy his parents had received letters from Sicily and Italy where he had been “in the thick of the fighting”. [from an unidentified news article]. 

Bill’s parents had received a letter from the hospital padre in North Africa where he was receiving treatment.

The CDN 14/03/44 reported that the official casualty list in the previous Friday’s paper listed Pte. Greenslade was inadvertently listed as having died of his wounds. “However the young soldier is seriously wounded but making a game fight for his life.”

The CDN 10/07/44(P) reported on the details of ‘Bill’s’ injury he received 8 February, 1943 while lying in a slit trench near Veneo about eight miles from Ortona.

“It was about 4 o’clock in the afternoon. His job had been driving a Bren carrier, not a very exciting job. However one of the platoons had been short a man so they sent us up to help out on night patrol.”

“Joe Wheatley – I think he was from Stratford – and I were lying in a slit trench resting when we got it. We had been talking about food. Sounds sort of silly, I guess thinking about what we would order the next time in a restaurant.”

Pte. Wheatley was killed instantly but Bill was rescued after a chum in a slit trench near by. “It was Russ Quinn of Windsor, also hit by some of the shrapnel in the foot ran up to get the stretcher-bearers. “Doc Crittle (an RCAMC officer who pulled Bill out and Bill was evacuated to Ortona in a jeep.

 

“ I didn’t feel much because kept blacking out all the way. I remained unconscious for six days after I was hit and didn’t sit up for six months.“ At Ortona I was given blood plasma. I don’t think I have much Greenslade blood in me.” Meanwhile gas gangrene had set it which called for treatment with penicillin in the arm and hip every three hours. “ I was told by Major Hamilton, the officer in charge of his treatment that he an a Pte. Johnnie Little from Vancouver who had lost both legs were the first to be treated with penicillin.

William lost his leg at Ortona and would be in hospital for fourteen months. He had lost his leg above the knee and medical personnel were doing everything possible to save his life. It was not indicated as to why this young soldier was selected but he was given the newly discovered ‘miracle drug’ penicillin has used for one of the first times. “The doctors here marvel at the splendid recovery he is making. He must have a remarkably strong constitution”.

The hospital bulletin pointed out: “The fact that $100,000 worth of penicillin has been used on the youth who is just 23 years of age.”

An article in the CDN 15/03/44 entitled “$100, 000 Penicillian Used to Save Life Of Chatham Boy” goes on:

Chatham, March 15. – The wonder drug penicillin valued at approximately $100,000, has been used in a effort to save the life of Pte. William James Greenslade, seriously wounded on the Italian front and now in a hospital in North Africa.

This information was contained in a letter received from an army padre by Mr. and Mrs. Albert Greenslade of 25 Scane Street, parents of the soldier.

The padre wrote that the Chatham soldier was making a game fight for life. He lost his left leg above the knee and medical personnel at the hospital are doing everything possible for him.

His return to England was delayed by an attack of jaundice. He finally left Naples on a hospital ship 28 May and arrived in England 6 June. His return to Canada was by way of New York City.

The CDN 16/06/44 Reported that Pte. Greenslade may have lost a leg while fighting in Italy he still sent flower to his mother for Mother’s Day.

 

William was discharged 11/11/1944 for medical reasons. William was one of the first men overseas to be given the new “wonder drug” Penicillin and it saved his life and many other wounded men over the remainder of the war. CDN 14/03/44.

An article in the Windsor Star (date unknown) about the arrival home, after he had been away to the war nearly five years ago was so happy to be back.

 

Bill arrived in Chatham by bus about nine o’clock. No one knew he was coming. Bill took a taxi to his home on Scane St., and surprised his family. The following day Bill went to the Chatham Public Hospital to see his father who had just underwent a serious operation four weeks prior. The reunion of father and son was “most touching”. 

“That soldier was the most cheerful man we found in Chatham for a long while. He was the happiest returned soldier anyone on the Windsor Star’s – Chatham staff had ever seen. The future didn’t trouble him: he welcomed the chance to have his artificial leg fitted. You couldn’t escape the feeling that in spite of all the dire predictions sometimes made about the difficulties of post-war days, fellows like Bill Greenslade coming back would see that the world they had fought to make better would really stay that way.” 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Sources

CFF-FD44, StAUC-RH, IODE(N), VR, WS (unknown) (P)

Birthplace	Chatham, Ontario
Religion	Baptist
When Enlisted	November 1939
Next of Kin	Mother- Mrs. Margaret Greenslade

---

Notice something wrong with this record? Or, do you have something to add? Report it using our online form.