Private William Harold Greasley
The background of this man is not known for certain, but he may have been the William Harold Greasley born in Leicester on 22 September 1898, the first of two children of coal agent William Greasley and his wife Florence (née Palmer). At the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 71 Roberts' Road Leicester with his parents and brother.
Greasley enlisted or was called-up to the Hussars of the Line in 1916 or 1917 (regimental number 33051). Initially posted to the 10th (Prince of Wales's Own Royal) Hussars, he was later posted to the North Irish Horse, embarking for France between 1916 and 1918, and probably serving with the 1st (NIH) Regiment. This regiment served as corps cavalry to VII, XIX, then V Corps from its establishment in May 1916 until February-March 1918, when it was dismounted and converted to a cyclist unit, serving as corps cyclists to V Corps until the end of the war.
Nothing more has been discovered about Greasley's service during the war, apart from the fact that, on 7 August 1918 he was admitted to the 51st Field Ambulance (attached to the 17th (Northern) Division) suffering from jaundice. He may have served in the Army of Occupation in Germany during 1919.
On 16 October 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.
In 1929 Greasley married Hilda Mary Bagshaw. Ten years later they were living at 26 Sawley Road, Leicester, William working as a yarn warehouseman. He died on 6 April 1967 in the Royal Infirmary, Leicester.