Burma R.C.E. Underwood KPM

[MetPolice]

Does anybody know anything about ...

Deputy Inspector General of Police (Eastern Range) Robert Charles Elphinstone Underwood

Awarded Kings Police Medal London Gaz 12 February 1917 Dist. Supt Toungoo Burma Civil Police

Volunteered for service with Lord Robert's expdn. to Upper Burma and present at the surrender of Mandalay.

b. 22/10/1865 d. 1/7/1920

Thanks

[Mervyn Mitton]

Zeb - I don't think we have welcomed you to GMIC - I hope you will enjoy posting on our Forums.

He had to have been Burma Police - he would have been 20 when he joined the expedition that

conquered Mandalay in 1885. This was annexed into the British Empire in 1886.

A high ranking officer and I see he was rewarded with the King's Police medal in 1917 - he would

have been 52 - so, a young death at 55 in 1920.

I am sure you can tell us more about him - do you have a picture ? Please use your name now when you post. Mervyn

[MetPolice]

Hello Mervyn

Will post some more about him tomorrow.

Unfortunately don't have a photo of him. Will post a pic of the medal if wanted??

Zeb

[Mervyn Mitton]

The more info. that you give us - the greater the response from members. Mervyn

[MetPolice]

Here is a write up of Underwood that I have found

Robert Charles Elphinstone Underwood was born on 22nd October 1866, at Lansdowne House, Camden Hill Road, London, the son of William Elphinstone Underwood of the Honourable East India Company Service, and his wife Harriett Decima Winter, he appears to have a twin sister, Sarah Jessis Underwood, and younger brother, who was named after his father and born a year later in 1867, and a further brother, Arthur Cressee was born in 1871.

Underwood was educated a Dulwich College, London from 1881 to 1882, but then left and joined the Burma Police, and shortly afterwards volunteered to take part in Lord Robert's Expedition to Upper Burma being present at the capture of Mandalay on 18th November 1886, being awarded the India General Service Medal 1854-1895, with clasp for Burma 1885-7. Underwood was then promoted to Sub Inspector of Police on 7th February 1887.

Underwood went on to pursue a successful career with the Burma Police, being promoted to Inspector in November 1890, being then appointed Imperial Police Assistant Superintendent from June 1891, and it was shortly after his period that his personal life appears to have developed some complications as he is listed as having maintained a Burmese woman whom he married according to one source, Mah Ngew Nyen (1879-1943), with whom he had a son, John C.H. Underwood (1899-1958) who was born on 19th November 1899, and baptised on 6th March 1899 at Saint Augustines Church, Moulmein, his father being interesting listed as Charles Robert Elphinstone Underwood, Assistant Superintendent of Police, but at around the same time he then married an english woman, Evelyne Mary Burne (1875-1945) on 6th June 1900 at Saint Matthew's Church, Moulmein, he being in this case similarly listed as Assistant Superintendent of Police, and with his English wife he however had no issue of children, however he clearly took John C.H. Underwood into his household, the couple maintaining him as their son, he being listed in sources as the son of both women!

Underwood was promoted to District Superintendent of Police in April 1906, and would ultimately be promoted Deputy Inspector General of Police for the Eastern Range on 1st July 1919, having been shortly before hand awarded the King's Police Medal in the London Gazette for 12th February 1917 when serving as District Superintendent of Police at Toungoo in Burma, this being Taungoo, which is now a city in the Bago Region of Myanmar, and was located in the central eastern area of Burma.

Underwood was still serving as Deputy Inspector General of Police for the Eastern Range when he died on 1st July 1920 at Rangoon aged 53. His obituary was published in the Straits Times for 20th July 1920 which sums it up by stating: 'the province loses another of those splendid police officers who joined her in the days just after the annexation of Upper Burma'. Underwood left the sum of £1584 16s and 3d to his wife, Evelyne Mary Underwood, the will being handled by probate in London on 27th July 1920.

Thanks

Zeb

[Mervyn Mitton]

An interesting story, Zeb. I am surprised that with the strict moral feelings of the time that he 'got away' with having a

mistress and a wife. Anyway, he did the honourable thing with his son. We had a number of campaigns to take Burma

and it was a troublesome province. So, he was exDulwich College. One of the better Public Schools in the UK.

[MetPolice]

I did do some research in the Dulwich College Archives and found an obituary, which is very interesting to read.

Zeb