Name
Frank Gilbert Underhill
1891
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
30/07/1916
25
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
3201
Hertfordshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CATERPILLAR VALLEY CEMETERY, LONGUEVAL
Sp. Mem. 16.
France
Headstone Inscription
THEIR GLORY SHALL NOT BE BLOTTED OUT and KNOWN TO BE BURIED IN THIS CEMETERY
UK & Other Memorials
All Saints Church Memorial, Radwell, Harmer Green & Digswell Memorial, Harmer Green, St John's Church Memorial Plaque, Digswell, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Frank Gilbert Underhill was born in Radwell, Hertfordshire in 1891 the son of John and Martha Underhill (nee Bird). On the 1891 Census the family were living at Radwell Lane, Radwell, where his father was working as a farm labourer. They remained in Radwell in 1901, having moved to Rectory Lane with his father said to have retired as a farm labourer, aged 64.
By 1911 Frank was working as a Domestic Gardener at North Foreland Lodge, a girls boarding school in North Foreland, Kent. This was his given address when he enlisted.
Wartime Service
Frank enlisted on 19th September 1914, in Hertford, and was posted to the Hertfordshire Regiment with service number 3201. On completion of his basic training he landed in France on 23rd January 1915.
On 8th February 1915 he reported sick (bronchitis) and was admitted to No 4 Field Hospital, transferred to the British General Hospital, discharged fit on 14th February 1915 and returned to his Regiment.
On 18th May 1915 at the Battle of Festubert he received a gunshot wound to his left arm and was admitted to a hospital ship in Boulogne on 20th May 1915 to be returned home for treatment. He recovered and returned to France the following year on 6th May 1916. On 11th July 1916 Frank was attached to the 8th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment and promoted to Acting Corporal (unpaid) on 23 July.
He was killed in action on 30th July 1916 during the attack of Intermediate Trench near Pozieres, where they were forced back by machine gun and sniper fire. 14 officers and 160 other ranks were killed or wounded.
Additional Information
Listed as a Private on the regimental memorial. His headstone inscription reads: "THEIR GLORY SHALL NOT BE BLOTTED OUT and KNOWN TO BE BURIED IN THIS CEMETERY". Frank's effects went to his Mother Martha and sister Mable Fairhurst.
Frank is also commemorated on his family’s grave in Redbourn (St. Mary) Churchyard. His part of the inscription reads:
ALSO OF FRANK THEIR SON KILLED IN ACTION IN FRANCE JULY 30TH 1916 AGED 25 YEARS
TILL WE MEET
TILL WE MEET
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne, Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, Rob Allard
