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Auction: 16003 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
Lot: 78

Three: Second Lieutenant T.W. Underhill, The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
1914-15 Star (2.Lieut. T.W. Underhill. E. Kent R.); British War and Victory Medals (2.Lieut T.W. Underhill), traces of lacquer, light pitting, otherwise nearly extremely fine

1914 Star (L-7527 Pte. E. Langley. 1/E. Kent R.), good very fine (4)

Second Lieutenant Thomas William Underhill, born Sedgley, Staffordshire, October 1896 the only son of Herbert George Underhill, Wootton Court, Canterbury, Kent; educated at Rugby and Birmingham University, reading Engineering; served initially with the Royal Sussex Regiment, later 8th Battalion East Kent Regiment during the Great War on the Western Front; wounded, October 1915; returned to the Western Front, February 1916; killed in action, 19.8.1916, Underhill is buried in the Bray Cemetery, France.

Memorials of Rugbeians Who Fell in The Great War gives further detail 'During the Battle of the Somme his Battalion had taken some German trenches near Delville Wood and were holding them. He was on look-out duty: his Captain had just given him some orders, and had only gone about ten yards down the trench, when he heard a shell burst. The Captain ran back and found him lying dead, evidently killed by concussion, August 19th 1916, Age 19. His Colonel wrote: "He was an excellent soldier, always bright and cheerful, and however tired and hard-worked he might have been, his thought was always for his men. I saw him myself the day before, and he was as happy as possible, having done so well." His Captain wrote: "His men absolutely loved Tom, and he was always doing things for them, He was a frightfully good Officer." A brother Officer wrote: "I was not in the same Platoon as Tom, but I know that his men loved him and would have done anything for him, and he was always just as popular with the Officers. As long as I have known him, I have hardly ever seen him without a cheery smile on his face."'

Underhill is commemorated upon memorials at St. Peter and St. Paul, Dymchurch, Kent.

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Sold for
£300