Green, Anthony Lovering, 1919-1944

Person

Green, Anthony Lovering, 1919-1944

1919-1944

Green, Anthony Lovering, son of Arthur Reginald Green FSAA, of Hampstead, and Gladys Eve­lyn, d. of John William Pryce of Chiswick; b. 17 Dec. 1919; adm. Sept. 1933 (H); left July 1936; articled to an accountant; RAOC 1940, transf. REME, later 1 Troop 5 Commando (Private); killed in action (Burma) 15 Mar. 1944.

Anthony Lovering Green was born at Caterham, Surrey on the 17th of December 1919 the younger son of Arthur Reginald Green FSAA, an incorporated accountant, and Gladys Evelyn (nee Pryce) Green of 959, Finchley Road, Golders Green in Middlesex. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Homeboarders from September 1933 and July 1936. On leaving school he was articled to a firm of accountants.
He enlisted in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps in 1940 and transferred to the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers before being attached to No. 1 Troop, No. 5 Commando.
At 9.30am on the 14th of March 1944, Nos. 1 and 2 Troops, No. 5 Commando embarked on board landing craft at St Martin’s Island in Burma and landed at the mouth of the Ton Chaung at 11am where they formed a beachhead. A short time later they were followed by Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 6 Troops who arrived with the equipment. At 11.20am Nos. 1 and 2 Troops moved inland where they advanced to Dodan where they arrived at 11.50am and linked up with the 81st West African Division reconnaissance team to form a defensive perimeter around the town to protect the men bringing up the heavy equipment from the beachhead. At 12.20pm the two Troops moved forward again to Kanyindan, arriving there ten minutes later, where they met more West African troops, and continued on to Alethangyaw where they had established Battalion Headquarters by 1.30pm. At 1.50pm they came under Japanese mortar fire from the surrounding hills. At 2.30pm a section of No. 1 Troop was sent out to patrol towards Maugtula and returned without making contact with the enemy. At 4pm the rest of No. 5 Commando arrived there and began digging in with No. 1 and No. 2 Troops moving to a new position known as Commando Beachhead at 4.30pm. Having established themselves in their new positions they came under mortar and 75mm artillery fire from Hill 211 at 8pm that night.
At 9.30am on the 15th of March 1944, a small group from No. 1 Troop was sent out to clear a village to the west of Commando Beachhead and at noon Nos. 1 and 3 Troops were pushed forward for an attack on Hill 211. A request for an air attack on the hill in support of their attack had been denied. Having arrived in front of the hill, No. 3 Troop began advancing towards the north east over open ground at 1.30pm. They moved through a wood and found themselves facing the enemy positions on the other side of it. No. 1 Troop joined them five minutes later and took up positions in front of them. They immediately came under heavy shell fire during which Anthony Green was killed. The two troops suffered further casualties of one other rank dying of wounds and fourteen more wounded. The wounded were evacuated at 4pm and the survivors withdrew back to their base at 5.30pm.
He is commemorated on the Rangoon Memorial Face 19.

Driver 7626019; Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers attached to No. 1 Troop, No. 5; Commando

GB 2014

International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition

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Prepared for import into AtoM by Westminster School Archive staff, 2019-2020. Updated by Bethany Duck, Archives Assistant, September 2022.

The Record of Old Westminsters: A biographical list of all those who are known to have been educated at Westminster School from Play 1919 to Election 1989, Volume 4, compiled by F.E. Pagan and H.E. Pagan, Padstow, 1992.

Westminster School Second World War Memorial by John C. Hamblin, 2022.