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204939
Dvr. Richard Stanley "Derry" Edwards
British Army 124 Brigade Royal Field Artillery
from:Pontypridd, Wales
My grandfather was born Richard Stanley Rowlands, but changed his name to Edwards, his mothers previous married name. He signed up twice to a Welsh regiment but his Mother 'retrieved' him as he was under age born 2nd Jan 1898. He then managed to join the Royal Field Artillery but his records appear to have been destroyed in WW2 and I cant find any more detail other than that listed on his medal card.
If my deductions are correct he was in 124 Brigade as part of 37th Division serving from 1916 in France at the battles of the Somme, Ypres and Passchendaele amongst many others. He was a driver and rode the lead horse of a gun team. He survived the war and lived until the mid 1960's when I was only 3 years old.
In the Second World War he was a chief fire watch officer and defused many incendiaries falling around Twickenham in London. My uncle still has his slide rule from his days as a RFA driver, and fire axe from WW2.