In 1942,
Underwood recieves the call
to join the army.
He becomes
an infantryman
for the Suffolk Regiment.
The Suffolk Regiment is secretly preparing
for the invasion of Normandy
in two years time.
The Normandy Landings will later take place on the beaches of Northern France in 1944.
The Normandy Landings will mark the beginning of the successful Allied invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II
Back in January 1942 however,
Underwood is undergoing a standard
physical examination.
“I remember I had attended
an Army Medical
at St. Albans...”
“After a very thorough examination
by several doctors,
I was passed ‘A1’”
(A1: ‘fit for general service’)
“It was a severe winter that year, and much of our training was in atrocious weather.”
“I had been unwell before joining up,
and soon became worse.”
“After a few weeks,
I collapsed on the rifle range at Bury St. Edmunds,
and was taken to the Army Hospital.”
“I remember feeling very tired and ill,
and had no real wish to recover…”
“In the middle of the night
I woke to find myself being held up in bed.”
“Two doctors and several nurses
were fussing round me,
but I didn’t really want to know...”
“...I just wanted to go back to sleep...”
“In the morning
a wide-eyed nurse asked me how I felt.
I said I was alright - why?”
“She said,
‘You nearly died last night…’”
“From then on I began to get better,
but it seemed that there had been a weakness
in my chest…”
In order to properly regain his health,
Underwood is taken to Rushbrooke Hall in Suffolk,
- where he hears reports of strange activity...
Ruskbrooke Hall, Suffolk
