Sgt 24938 Percy Marks Greany (MM)

• Age: 33
• From: Birkenhead, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• D.O.W Saturday 7th December 1918
• Commemorated at: Archangel Allied Memorial

24938 Sergeant Percy Marks GREANY MM, 17 KLR, Died of Wounds 07.12.1918.

Percy Marks Greany was born on the 01st October 1885 in Claughton, Birkenhead, the second son of John Greany and his wife Martha (née Jones) who were married in 1883. His father was born in Cork, Ireland and his mother in Crosemere, Salop. He had an older brother, John George Marks Greany (1884-1963) and a younger sister, May (1888-1981). He was baptised on the 02nd December 1885 at Grange Road Methodist Church, his father, was a cab driver of 1 Grange Place, Birkenhead.  

His father, died in 1888 aged 38 years. He was born in 1849 in Cork, the son of Cornelius and Elizabeth Greany. 

The 1891 Census shows his widow, Martha, is aged 39, and a dressmaker, living with her three young children at 38 Paterson Street, Birkenhead. George, is aged 7, Percy, is aged 5 and May, is aged 2. Also present in the household is a lodger, Thomas Devine. 
 
Later that year Martha and Thomas Devine married.  

The 1901 Census shows that they are living as a family at 14 Grosvenor Place, Claughton. His step father, Thomas Devine, is aged 52, and a cab driver born in Birkenhead, his mother, Martha, is aged 49, with John George, aged 17, is a joiner’s apprentice, Percy is a commercial clerk and May is 12 years old. 
 
By 1911, John George has left the family home which is still 14 Grosvenor Place. Percy is living with his mother, Martha, aged 59, step father, Thomas, aged 61, and a coachman, and sister May aged 22. Percy is shown as a 25 year old salesman. 
 
In 1914, Percy answered Lord Derby’s call for a battalion of “Pals”  joining the 17th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 24938. 

He was billeted at Prescot Watch Factory, he trained there and also at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 17th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He arrived in France on the 07^th November 1915.

He reached the rank of Sergeant and was awarded a Military Medal for bravery in the field in 1918 (Gazetted 27.08.1918) and from October 1918 was deployed to Russia.

Graham Maddocks in his book “Liverpool Pals” relates how in early December 1918, intelligence indicated that the Bolsheviks were planning to attack the town of Tarassova and “D” Company of the 17^th Battalion made their way to the town on 5^th December to await the attack and learned from a prisoner that the attack would take place at 7.00am on 6th. Their CO, Captain E A Dickson MC, decided to pre-empt the attack and two officers, 76 other ranks, supported by 30 White Russians travelled through that night and came upon the enemy from the rear. They quickly captured an enemy blockhouse, killing seven and capturing four more, without suffering any casualties themselves. They then attacked a Bolshevik transport column and successfully attacked that, capturing it intact and seizing an amount of arms and ammunition including two Maxim machine guns. The enemy was now aware of their presence and fought back with snipers in the forest area. The Pals continued their advance and after heavy fighting during which the enemy lost many men they captured an enemy supply dump. By now they were within one mile of the enemy whose defence became more effective. One of their two officers, 2^nd Lieutenant A. Cousins, was wounded and Captain Dickson was soon up against an estimated enemy force of about 600 men. The White Russians made a somewhat hesitant if not reluctant attack against the Bolshevik flank but were never seen again. Dickson realised his ammunition was running low and his own Lewis guns were seizing up because of the wintry conditions and decided to withdraw, destroying the captured wagons and limbers and even killing most of the captured horses first. They retreated, taking the Maxim guns with them but eventually had to break up the guns and abandon them in the forest before returning to Tarassova with five prisoners and seven horses. Second Lieutenant Cousins later died of his wounds, as did Sergeant Percy Greany MM; three others were wounded but recovered, and Private Charles Ainsworth, together with Privates Robert Brown, James Houghton, Alfred Owens and Henry Turner were all killed during this action.

Percy was wounded during the night of 06^th December 1918 and died next day of his wounds. His body was not recovered and he is commemorated on the Archangel Memorial to the Missing.

During both world wars, Archangel was one of the ports through which the Allies assisted Russia with supplies and munitions. The cemetery was begun immediately after the occupation of the town in August 1918 by the Allied force sent to support the Soviet Russian Government against potential threat from German occupied Finland and other local sources. It was used by No.85 General Hospital, No.53 Stationary Hospital, No.82 Casualty Clearing Station, HM Hospital Ship 'Kalyan' and other Allied hospitals. 

ARCHANGEL ALLIED CEMETERY contains 224 burials and commemorations of the First World War, including special memorials to 140 officers and men with known burials in cemeteries elsewhere in northern Russia. Two of the burials are unidentified. The cemetery also contains 7 Second World War burials. The ARCHANGEL MEMORIAL, which consists of panels fixed into the east wall of the cemetery, commemorates 219 British officers and men who died during the north Russian campaign and whose graves are not known.

Percy was awarded three medals in addition to his Military Medal – the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
 
His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on 17/12/1918 and 20/12/1918. 

GREANY - Dec 7 died of gunshot wounds after 3 years active service in Russia, PERCY MARKS GREANY, Sergeant 17th KLR MM (Pals) the dearly loved son of Mrs Devene 2 Woodsorrell Road, Claughton.

Percy is commemorated on the Cenotaph in Birkenhead. 

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