Ashley Greenwood facts for kids

Ashley Martin Greenwood (born June 12, 1912 – died September 30, 2003) was a brave British soldier, a smart lawyer, and a fair judge. He held important jobs like the Attorney General of Fiji and Attorney General of Gibraltar. He also worked as a judge in Uganda. Besides his legal and military work, he was an amazing mountain climber! He once figured out that he had visited 103 countries during his life, combining his climbing, army, and legal adventures.

Learning and Mountains

Ashley Greenwood first went to Haileybury College. Later, he studied at Clare College, Cambridge, a famous university. There, he earned top grades in both Classics (ancient Greek and Roman studies) and Law.

During his student days, Ashley discovered his true passion: mountaineering. He loved climbing mountains! He climbed many peaks in the Alps, Dolomites, Tyrol, and Norway. He also climbed mountains closer to home in Scotland and Wales. When he was just 24, he became a member of the Alpine Club. This is a special group for experienced mountain climbers. His climbing skills became very important later during his time in the army. He even married a fellow mountain climber! When he turned 80, he celebrated by climbing Stok Kangri, a 6,121-meter high mountain in the Himalayas in Ladakh.

Military Service

In 1940, Ashley Greenwood joined the Royal Artillery as a temporary Captain. In 1943, he was moved to the New Zealand Squadron. Here, he worked as a climbing instructor for mountain warfare. This means he taught soldiers how to fight in mountains. He went with the New Zealand Squadron on a mission to take over the Dodecanese Islands, which were controlled by Italy.

After escaping to Turkey, he became a special officer. He worked with the Long Range Desert Group, a British army unit, in Montenegro in 1945. In June 1945, he joined the Allied Military Government Organization in Austria. He served there until March 1946. Soon after, he started working for the Colonial Office. For his bravery and service, he received the Military Cross award in 1944.

Legal Career

After his military service, Ashley Greenwood began his legal career. In 1946, he became the Deputy Registrar of the High Court of Uganda. A registrar is like a chief clerk for a court. He became the full Registrar in 1947. In 1950, he became a Resident Magistrate, which is a type of judge.

In 1952, he officially became a lawyer at London's Inner Temple. This is a historic place where lawyers are trained. In 1954, he became a Crown Counsel, working for the government. He briefly served as the Solicitor General of Fiji in 1956. The Solicitor General is a top legal advisor to the government. Later that same year, he became the Attorney General of Fiji. This is the chief legal officer of a country. He held this important role until 1963.

After Fiji, he became the Attorney General of Gibraltar. He also worked as an Acting Attorney General of Montserrat for a short time. He was a legal adviser in Hong Kong too. He even spent a year in Washington, D.C., helping as an adviser for the Telstar Conference.

Personal Life

Ashley Greenwood married Rosemary Farmborough Howard in 1956. She was also a keen mountain climber. They had actually climbed together even before the war! Until 1978, they continued their climbing adventures. They scaled mountains in New Zealand, Austria, Italy, Greece, Nepal, India, and Peru. They both were members of the Eagle Ski Club, showing their shared love for mountain sports.