Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Private William (Bill) Frank Underwood VX50924 2/7TH Battalion 2/AIF

Bill Underwood was a single man when he enlisted in the 2/AIF in February 1941. A blacksmith by trade he was a native of Mount Gambier and was living Parkville in Adelaide at the time of his enlistment.

After training in Australia, he was allocated to be a reinforcement for the 2/7th Battalion, 6th Division 2/AIF, and he embarked for the Middle East from Sydney on the 6th of August 1941. The battalion had suffered significant casualties during the fall of Greece and Crete, losing over half its strength killed, wounded or taken prisoner. Bill was one of many men sent to the Middle East to re-build the battalion after which it was employed on garrison duties in Palestine. In late December Bill suffered a fractured arm in an accident and spent two months recovering before he rejoined the battalion.

With the entry of Japan into the war the battalion was recalled to Australia, however Winsten Churchill controversially had the 6th Division diverted to Ceylon, against the wishes of the Australian Government.

In June 1942 the battalion was undertraining at Akuressa in Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, when a series of accidents occurred during grenade training. The second and more serious would claim the life of Bill and Private Frederick James Dickson. The Battalion War Diary records:

“As a sequel to yesterday’s unfortunate episode with the grenade, today provided a whole series of such accidents one of which had very tragic results. After successful practice by D Coy in the morning C. Coy took over the range for the afternoon. During firing of 68 type grenades, one exploded, causing fatal wounds to Ptes F.J. Dickson and W.F. Underwood whilst 5 others were wounded, two rather seriously.”

The casualties included Private John Hally who lost a leg and who passed away a week later, and Private Morrison who suffered severe abdominal injuries, but would ultimately recover.

Bill and Fred were buried the following day in the Galle Cemetery in Southern Sri Lanka, their bodies later reinterred in Colombo.