Description
Army LSGC, VR issue, 211639 Gunner Charles Underwood, 10th Divisional Coastal Battery, Royal Artillery.
Born in 1851, in the village of Potterne, Devizes, Wiltshire. His father George Underwood was a local Cabinet Maker.
Signed up at 17 on 6th November 1868 to served with the Royal Artillery.
Not long after enlisting he was sent off to India and Aden where he saw 13 years service.
He saw the following service:
Home, 6th November 1868- 11th October 1871
India, 12th October 1871 – 30th October 1883, 12 years 19 days
Aden, 31st October 1883 – 29th November 1884, 1 year 39 days.
Home, 30th November 1884 – 5th November 1889.
Discharged in 1889 having received only this Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, with gratuity of £5, G.O. 111 of 1887.
On service in India he was first with 13th Battery from 1871-1877, then 9th Battery from 1877-1882.
After returning home he finished out his career in the 10th Division Coastal Battery from 25th May 1886 until 30th September 89.
At which point he had completed 20 years 329 days in the Artillery.
As soon as he finally returned home to England, he married a local Dressmaker back home in Potterne on 6th January 1885.
With his discharge from the army he settled at Little End in Potterne, with his wife and had 2 children already by 1891, noted as an Agricultural Labourer and Army Pensioner.
