Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Grave: | Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery | XIII. B. 2 | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.137 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 5A GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | British War Medal Victory Medal | ||
Family :
Son of James and Lydia H. Underwood; husband of Irene Underwood, of Clare, Tirlemont Rd., South Croydon, Surrey. Born Haslemere, Surrey. They lived at ‘Staplegrove’, Blenheim Avenue, with their son James.Education & Career :
Taunton School
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 47th Trench Mortar Battery RFA |
| Action : The Battle of Messines 1917 and associated actions |
7 June - 11 July 1917. The plan at Messines was to blow up 19 mines in what was the largest man made explosion before Hiroshima, and utterly destroy the German front line along the Messines Ridge. The effect was to "liquify" the ground and create a mini earthquake, which coupled with the largest artillery preparation thus far of over 3 million shells would stun the defenders into submission. The plan largely worked and was initially very successful although the Germans did re-group and opportunities to develop the attack were lost. Casualties in this victory were 25,000.
Detail :
Formerly a Gunner in the Royal Horse Artillery. Service No. 130674. Embarked and landed in France on 21.1 1917. Died of Wounds 8th June 1917.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Percy No. 198 E.C. | London |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
12th December 1913 | 9th January 1914 | 13th November 1914 |
Junior Deacon
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley