These medals and souvenirs on display in Honiton museum belonged to Herbert Henry Greenslade, who was born on November 1, 1872, in Uplowman near Tiverton.
His father William was blinded by a fever at the age of eight but he became a basket maker and talented musician.
Herbert trained as a butcher and enlisted in The Devon Regiment in 1888 in Exeter when he was 18 years old.
He was permanently transferred to the staff of the 3rd Volunteer Battalion Devonshire Regiment in 1905. He served in Egypt for a year, the East Indies for seven years, in South Africa for three years and in India for three years. While he was in Egypt, he undertook three months training with the Mounted Infantry.
His report said that he was painstakingly patient with the horses and would make a good groom. Herbert was permitted to continue in the Army past his 21 years’ service and was promoted to colour sergeant.
He married Blanche Heywood in Sampford Peverell in 1907 and the couple came to Honiton to live.
In March 1914 Herbert was praised for obtaining ten new recruits in Honiton during one week. He was listed under Regimental Ranks in the Extraordinary Gazette of India (page 385) on June 3, 1918. Herbert was discharged from the Army after serving for 31 years and 156 days.
Herbert and Blanche had four children – Herbert Victor who worked on the railways, Phyllis Amy who became a patient in an institution at Starcross, Percy George who joined the Devonshire Regiment and died in Burma in 1944 and Peggy Rosina, who married Brian Beaton and together they ran a fruit and vegetable shop in New Street.

In early 1919 the Mayor of Honiton announced that the proposal for Honiton’s war memorial in the form of a Memorial Hall was adopted.
The Sites Committee recommended the purchase of a piece of land measuring 150ft by 50ft from Sergeant Major Greenslade, at West End, for £400. The Mayor and the Rector fell out with each other over the proposal and by 1920 the scheme for a hall was abandoned and eventually the Honiton war memorial cross was unveiled by Mayor Juanita Phillips in a ceremony on July 14th 1921.
In his later years Herbert was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his many years of service in the Army. It was presented to him by Major General Leach Porter after a parade at the REME camp, Heathfield.