
Obituary for Lieutenant Colonel David Greenfield MBE
David Greenfield was born in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, on the 25th January 1938. His father was a Colour Sergeant in the Royal Artillery who had served in India and was at Dunkirk, his mother was a housewife. He had two younger sisters and attended the local Grammar School, attaining 3 A Levels, none of which, sadly as things turned out, were in Spanish.
He joined the Army on the 7th January 1957 because, like many a lad from that fertile Poacher recruiting area, he wanted more from life than was on offer in Cleethorpes. With his educational qualifications he had applied to go to RMA Sandhurst but, more fool them, was failed at the interview stage. So he joined as a National Serviceman in the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment. He gained his first stripe within 3 months and his second 5 months later. He served at the Depot in Lincoln until May 1959 when he joined the 1st Battalion in Minden. He returned to England with the Battalion in April 1960 for the amalgamation with the 1st Battalion The Northamptonshire Regiment at Watchet in Somerset. Then followed a short spell at Depot The Royal West Kent Regiment and another in Lincoln with the Regimental Recruiting Team. He was promoted Sergeant and in September 1961 he rejoined what was by then the 2nd East Anglian Regiment in Osnabruck and a year later in June 1962 was posted to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as an instructor. He remained there until September 1965 when he rejoined the Battalion, by then the 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, in Cyprus. Thereafter he served with the Battalion in Libya, England, Kenya, Malaya, BAOR and Northern Ireland, becoming a Colour Sergeant in 1968 and a Company Sergeant Major in June 1970.
As a weapon training instructor at RMA Sandhurst in the early 1960s, he had a huge input into the development of many young officer cadets and is remembered affectionately for making the training as interesting and enjoyable as possible and, when involved in tactical training, for being a fine example of leadership to which the cadets could aspire.
In Cyprus in 1965 he was a platoon sergeant in C Company and well known as a disciplinarian, for being the smartest soldier in the Battalion and for always putting his soldiers first. He was a hard trainer too and was nicknamed ‘No Vehicles’ for keeping his platoon fit by marching them everywhere around the Dhekelia Garrison, which was no doubt the reason he won an extremely challenging Inter Platoon March and Shoot Competition later that same year. He led his soldiers to levels which many did not consider themselves capable, but they also learnt that if he told you to do something then it was best not to delay in getting it done. He is also remembered for being an outstanding mentor to his young platoon commanders, never usurping their authority, and always causing them to feel that they were actually in command, even though that was probably debatable.
By 1970 David was Company Quartermaster Sergeant C Company with the Poachers in Colchester. He fully understood this role and brought to it his ability to plan well ahead and to anticipate what the Company was likely to do and what would be needed, developing his role far beyond the normal tasks of a CQMS. That year the Battalion carried out two major overseas exercises in Kenya and Malaya. In Kenya he is remembered for producing, in the jungle, a Sunday Lunch of roast beef with all the trimmings for the soldiers who had just climbed Mount Kenya; and also for a chance encounter with a large bull elephant which eventually saw sense and stepped aside rather than tangle with CQMS Greenfield on his supply run; whilst in Northern Malaya, in mountainous and very dense jungle, he excelled in the constant resupply of all that was needed, mostly by helicopter and only after jungle landing sites had been cut.
Later in 1970 he took over as Company Sergeant Major A Company for the Poachers’ first tour of Northern Ireland. He understood the mind and character of the soldier perfectly and was greatly respected by all ranks. His advice was invaluable and his hands on the tiller so firm that company orders before the Company Commander were infrequent. David continued as Company Sergeant Major until the end of May 1972 when he was appointed the Battalion Weapon Training Warrant Officer and Senior Search Advisor for the Poachers’ second tour of West Belfast. Whilst accompanying the CO on a large search operation in the Lower Falls he was slightly wounded in the hand by, what most would say, the IRA, although in the chaos of the moment, David directed an alternative accusation, in the fruitiest of language, to a poor, unfortunate A Company soldier.
In March 1973 he was appointed Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant of Depot The Queen’s Division, a post he held until returning to the Poachers in Munster as Regimental Sergeant Major in May 1974. His time as RSM, which included his third tour of West Belfast in 1975, was perhaps the defining period of David’s career. His impact was instant and phenomenal and his high standards legendary. Nobody, soldier or officer, survived his scrutiny and it was impossible to get past him without being pulled up and savaged, sometimes with added emphasis from his pace stick, for cap badge not over left eye, hair too long or too short, walking across his square, wearing elastics, being at the NAAFI too early or too late, or for not complying with every last detail of Part One or Part Two or Battalion Standing Orders.
He had a particular dislike for briefcases and once ran over a platoon sergeant’s with an APC, answering the subsequent protestations with ‘…..platoon records should be carried in your head, not in a briefcase’. As a result of this he became the only RSM who cleared the barracks of officers and soldiers whenever he went on his daily walkabout.
The barber had never been so busy and on one occasion, soldiers who had just returned from a long exercise and were tired, hungry and filthy, all climbed back into their equally filthy Armoured Personnel Carriers and followed the RSM’s menacing approach through periscopes rather than face the inevitable confrontation which they would most certainly have lost……………badly; and on another, a soldier in the guardroom under close arrest for something or other, decided to follow a current fad of ‘refusing to soldier’ and thus sat naked in his cell refusing to comply with any order from anyone.
That was until RSM Greenfield arrived and, armed with his pace stick, engaged with the hapless soldier who, shortly afterwards and fully clothed, emerged to announce that he was now indeed very keen to continue soldiering for Queen and Country.
But David was more than just a disciplinarian, he was a first class professional soldier who, as RSM, demanded in turn a huge degree of professionalism from all of his warrant officers and sergeants, including those in the supporting arms; and with him it was always the soldiers first; it was right or wrong and black or white, with no grey areas. You knew where you stood with David and he would support anyone to the hilt if convinced of their cause.
As a result, he became a towering personality to a generation of Poacher NCOs and soldiers; and for inexperienced young officers, although he was a fearsome individual, behind the veneer they found an engaging character who gave sound advice when asked. He was never one to exploit his experience and status by sounding off his opinions and criticising others, instead he was quietly efficient in all he did and provided wise counsel to those who sought it.
The Battalion responded to David and, on their regular parades, his greeting bellow of ‘Good Morning Poachers’ would be answered with a thunderous roar of ‘Good Morning Sir’ by the soldiers who held him in such high esteem and with a respect that bordered on awe.
In July 1976, at the end of his tenure as RSM, he was granted a Short Service Commission in the rank of Lieutenant and, most unusually, was retained by the Battalion as Training Officer after the move to Gillingham. For the officers it seemed a little surreal having coffee with Lieutenant David Greenfield as a fellow subaltern, but of course he had the character to put both himself and his younger comrades at ease.
He quickly proved to be an outstanding Training Officer and the young potential NCOs that went through his cadres were among the best trained Poachers of those times; he set high standards for his students, subordinates and himself and this set the tone for an exceptionally successful career as a commissioned officer.
`he was to remain with the Poachers until March 1985 having been promoted to Captain (QM) in April 1978 and Major (QM) in July 1984 and having served with them in Gillingham, West Berlin, Londonderry, Colchester, Cyprus and the US.
As Quartermaster, David Greenfield was every Commanding Officer’s dream. A top soldier in every sense of the phrase, he reflected to his very core the distinctive and unique qualities of the counties from where the Battalion drew its soldiers. He assumed with ease the considerable skills and responsibilities needed in such a senior appointment and was imbued with a tenacious loyalty and steely determination. Above all he had impeccable judgement and wise counsel, always delivered with a dry sense of humour.
His responsibilities during his time as Quartermaster spanned Northern Ireland, England, Germany and Cyprus, in 3 different roles – Internal Security, BAOR reinforcement and United Nations peacekeeping. His philosophy was simple – he wanted the Poachers to have the best equipment, the smartest uniforms and the best support, using any means at his disposal. The BAOR reinforcement role was particularly testing and involved many exercise rehearsals in the UK and then deployment to BAOR, during which he had an innate ability to command the respect of the many different cap badges placed under his tactical control.
He let none of these additional responsibilities weigh him down and was throughout a source of solid dependability to everyone. Once, when asked where his ‘B Echelon’ was located on the battlefield, David responded – ‘We’re so far back we can see the French’.
For seven years his contribution extended well beyond the normal duties of Quartermaster, for at considerable expense to his free time, he also instructed and supervised the training of the Battalion’s Bisley Shooting Team. Combining his good humour, patience and the professional skills gained during operational duty throughout his service, he consistently improved the Team’s shooting standards until they stood amongst the top three teams in the Army and in 1984 collected 5 major individual trophies (using, by the way, one fifth of the Battalion’s annual ammo allocation in the process!).
He was awarded an MBE in June 1985 for his work as Quartermaster with the Citation stating: ‘During his service Major Greenfield has earned himself a position of unique regard. Never failing in courtesy and good humour, he has set an example which others seek to emulate.
His total dedication to the soldiers of the Battalion that he has served so long, his personal courage on operations and his many positive achievements, have marked him out as a man of exceptional character’. It was a popular award amongst the Poachers.
From 1985 to 1987, David completed a tour as Quartermaster of 7/10 UDR in Belfast after which, in April 1987, he was Mentioned in Despatches for gallantry. This was followed by a third tour as Quartermaster from 1987 to 1989, this time with 7(V) R ANGLIAN in Leicester, where he is remembered as an outstanding administrator who could be relied upon implicitly for sound advice; and also as a soldier’s soldier, equally admired and respected by all ranks.
The final phase of David’s regular service came in April 1989 when, having been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in December 1988, he assumed the prestigious post of Staff Quartermaster at the Army Staff College in Camberley. David found himself surrounded by young Directing Staff and students all feverishly thrusting away in the hothouse environment that existed at the time. He provided a calm and authoritative presence where one was sorely needed and was full of common sense.
The Staff College building was a place that needed constant works maintenance. That fell to the Staff Quartermaster and David had an extraordinary talent at getting complicated major and minor works services done in his own ingenious way, in a fraction of the time it would have taken the formal G4 system, and without disrupting the College programme or bothering either his Chief of Staff or the Commandant. He retired from the Army on the 24th January 1993, but still stares out from many photos of the Staff College Directing Staff, taken at those times, as the Staff Quartermaster, standing centre front just behind the Commandant, his place in that august pecking order rightfully earned.
After retirement from the Army, David spent the next 10 years as a Retired Officer, working for the MOD Civil Service as an SO2 Plans in the G4 Branch in Colchester, where he was heavily involved with the rebuild of the Garrison. He retired from working life at the age of 65 and then kept himself busy gardening, holidaying in Spain, eating out and keeping in touch with regimental chums.
David Greenfield was also a loyal family man. Throughout his career, and despite not having that Spanish A Level, he was staunchly supported by his wonderfully Spanish wife, the incomparable Isabel, who he had met in Felixstowe where she was working in a hotel. Never completely mastering the English language, she was the daughter of a Captain in the army during the Spanish Civil War, fighting against General Franco’s fascists, who had been captured and imprisoned for two years. They married on 12th July 1969 and their sons were born in 1970 and 1974; and for over 15 years David and Isabel were an indivisible pairing at the heart of both the Poachers’ Sergeants’ and Officers’ messes.
David always wanted the best for his family and was a responsible, generous and devoted father, always picking up and dropping off his sons to and from their boarding school in Ipswich for holidays. In 2002, and well into his 60s, he was to camp out for a week to reserve an ex-Army married quarter for one of his sons, with Isabel cycling to see him every day to deliver rations and to stay with him for a few hours. Needless to say, he got the house.
David will be remembered by so many whom he helped in life, not just in our great Regimental family, but in the many different military and civilian lives he touched. He was that rarest of soldiers, professional to his fingertips, yet fun to be with, generous, amusing and liked and respected by everyone. As a senior NCO, he set the highest standards and expected them of everyone else, both senior and junior to himself. He adjusted easily to commissioning and proved to be the most wonderful ambassador for the Regiment in the various postings he filled before retirement, when he did not disappear, but continued to keep in close touch with his many friends, being a regular attender with the lovely and sparkling Isabel, at the various Regimental gatherings throughout the year. General Patrick Stone, a former Commanding Officer, sums him up nicely – ‘David Greenfield was more than a safe pair of hands. He was certainly that, but with humour and a depth of professional ability and loyalty which time and again caused a generation of Poachers to pause and say, ‘we had better ask David’.
David was immensely proud to be a Poacher, but in turn they considered him to be a truly great soldier, a truly great Poacher and a truly great man. He died in Colchester Hospital on the 26th October 2020 at the age of 82. He is survived by Isabel and his two sons to whom we send not only our deepest sympathy, but also our gratitude for David’s service in our Regiment.
KH