234142 Pte. Walter Roland Underwood British Army 23rd (2nd Football) Btn. Middlesex Regiment from:Finedon, Northants My Grandfather Walter Roland Underwood was born on 29th October 1890 in Berry Green Yard Finedon and was married to my Grandmother, Ethel Violet Felce on 5th August 1911. He was a shoe hand as was his father before him and he enlisted in Finedon on 4th December 1915. His Army number was admission number was given as T29067 band and his service number was 204527. He received a gunshot wound to the shoulder and was transferred to a sick convoy on 31st July 1917 being later transferred to 139th Field Ambulance in the No12 Ambulance Train thereafter. He was taken prisioner on the 21st February 1918 and was taken to Germany and worked in a coalmine in the Essen area.
He was dishcharged honourably from the Army on the 7th May 1919, and thereafter worked in the shoe factory he left on enlistment for the rest of his working life.
He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal but never wore them. In never talked about his army service although he did have a breakdowm towards the end of the second world war which was said to have been caused by his experiences during the first world war. He died on the 1st January 1969 in the yard where he was born having left 3 children and 10 granchildren of which I was the eldest.
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