William Rose Townhill was originally a farm labourer on his Uncle's farm in Branston, Lincolnshire; where he worked with horses, ploughing the fields. Aged 19, he signed up on 26/04/1915 as a driver and a gunner in the Royal Field Artillery 34th Division, he survived WW1. After WW1 he wanted to bring two of the horses that he had worked with in France home, but the army hierarchy wouldn't allow it. During WW1 William lost his ring finger on his left hand. It was assumed it had been lost in action, but according to war records his pipe had broken in France and he thought he would fix it with copper pipe. When he was cutting the pipe, he cut into a detonator, which exploded and he lost his finger. He was afraid people would think he was trying to leave the war. There were a couple of times he got arrested, but they couldn't find the evidence. They took him to an Australian field hospital, where they amputated his finger. During this stay in hospital he caught diphtheria and was away from the front line for a short while, during which time he was docked 15 days pay, as recorded in his logbook. || Copy of a photograph of William Rose Townhill in uniform on a horse before he went to France; he looks stocky and well fed. Copy of a photograph of William Rose Townhill standing in uniform at a later date, he is thinner. Copies of hospital reports Logbook stamped 14/06/1915 with forfeit and will at back, a forfeit equalled 15 days pay.