Wallace Frederick Powers Greenslade^[1] (1 July 1912 – 21 April 1961), also known asBill Greenslade,^[2] was aBBC radioannouncer andnewsreader. He is best remembered for being the announcer—and frequently thestraight man—for the BBC radio comedy seriesThe Goon Show for eight series from 1953 until the end of the show's run in 1960.

Greenslade was born inFormby,Lancashire (now part ofMerseyside). During theSecond World War, he served for two and a half years as alieutenant commander in theRoyal Naval Reserve. He also worked as apurser with theP&O Line.^[3]

In 1945 Greenslade joined theBBC, where he began in the European Service, as presentation assistant and newsreader. In 1949 he was appointed aHome Service announcer before becoming a newsreader in both radio and television from November 1955. In addition toThe Goon Show, he was announcer forThe Great Gilhooly,Star Show andVariety Playhouse. He appeared as a castaway on theBBC Radio programmeDesert Island Discs on 12 December 1952.^[4] He was one of the original team ofBBC Television newsreaders appearing from July 1954 to May 1957. His well-known trademark was always taking off his glasses at the end of each bulletin. In May and June 1960 he presented theToday programme for two months before his death.^[5]

Physically a large rotund man, "the massive Greenslade" a colleague once called him, he died suddenly at his home atWeybridge,Surrey, in April 1961, aged 48 from a heart attack.^[6] Following a funeral service at St Mary'sOatlands, near Weybridge, he was buried at Brooklands Lane Cemetery, Weybridge. At the subsequentmemorial service, his BBC colleagueJohn Snagge gave an address. Greenslade left a wife, Carol.^[3]

A radio play,Ying Tong – A Walk with the Goons, was broadcast onBBC Radio 4 on 4 April 2007, referencing Greenslade, who was also the subject of an episode ofThe Goon Show, "The Greenslade Story", broadcast in December 1955.^[2]

• Wallace Greenslade^{[dead link‍]} atBritish Film Institute
• Wallace Greenslade atIMDb