Charles Staniforth Greenwood


Lieutenant Charles Greenwood is mentioned in Liddell’s history of the 10th Hussars in the harrowing story of the disaster on 31 Mar 1879 when 47 men and 14 horses drowned in the freezing water of the Kabul River:

‘Several instances of gallantry worth recording took place during this terrible calamity, and none more so than the conduct of Lieutenant Charles Greenwood, who, although almost exhausted by his efforts, had extricated himself from the quicksands and found himself on an island. Hearing cries for help, he again entered the water and found a man 30 yards out, unable to move in the deep gravel, and almost drowning. Lieutenant Greenwood failed in getting the man out alone, when Lieutenant Grenfell, hearing the shouts, came to his assistance, and together they brought the man in safety to the shore. This was Private Goddard, afterwards farrier-sergeant. Lieutenant Greenwood received the Humane Society’s medal for his conduct on this occasion.’

Charles Staniforth Greenwood was born on 1 May 1857, the son of Major John Greenwood and Louisa Elizabeth Barbardiston of Swarcliffe Hall, Birstwith near Harrogate. He was commissioned as a sub lieutenant into the 10th Hussars on 12 Feb 1876, promoted to lieutenant on 12 Feb 1877 and to captain on 27 Aug 1884. He reached the rank of lieutenant-colonel in the 2nd West Yorkshire Yeomanry in Nov 1891 and resigned in 1894. He was married on 20 May 1885, to Margaret Eleanor Dent. They had three children, the eldest being their son, Victor John Greenwood who also joined the 10th Hussars and commanded the regiment from 1928 to 1931. Colonel Charles Greenwood died at Swarcliffe on 24 Sep 1941. The photo is borrowed from the Hussards Photos website.


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by Stephen Luscombe