William Arthur Greener Penlington enlisted as a Lieutenant in 1915. He was appointed to the rank of Temporary Captain in 1916 and in May the following year, became Captain. Following his return to New Zealand he remained with the military and attained the rank of Major when appointed to the position of Vocation Officer (NZ Defence) Auckland and then Director of Vocational Training in Wellington in 1920.

William Arthur Greener Penlington was a lecturer at Auckland Teachers’ College at the time of his enlistment. He served on the Western Front with the New Zealand Rifle Brigade and was wounded (gas shell) at Messines on 7th June 1917. He was hospitalised back to England and spent periods in the No 1 NZ General Hospital and at the NZ Convalescent Hospital at Hornchurch. It is very likely that he worked up some of his watercolour sketches while at Hornchurch. Towards the end of 1917 Penlington was classified medically unfit, and he returned to New Zealand on the Arawa in early 1918. Following his return he was (briefly) a science lecturer at the Training College before taking up vocational training with Defence in Auckland and Wellington. In 1922 hereturned to teaching as acting director of the Hastings Technical High School, and in 1926 was made headmaster of the school(reconstituted as Hastings Boys’ High Schoo)l, a position he held for 23 years. He died in 1982.

Promotions:

Enlisted as Lieutenant in 1915.

Promoted as Temporary Captain (15.10.1916) and Captain (8.5.1917). This was his rank when discharged from active service. However, he was appinted to the rank of Major (Temp) with his appointment to the position of Vocation Officer in Auckland and later as Director of Vocational Training for disabled servicemen.