{{Short description|British Army officer}} {{Use British English|date=March 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}} {{Infobox military person | name = Mark Underhill | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | nickname = | birth_date = 1959–1960 | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | burial_place = | allegiance = {{flag|United Kingdom}} | branch = {{army|United Kingdom}} | service_years = 1978 – 2013 | rank = Colonel | service_number = 507550 | unit = Royal Corps of Transport<br/>Royal Logistic Corps | commands = Royal Logistic Corps TA | battles = | awards = Officer of the Order of the British Empire | alma_mater = King William's College | relations = | other_work = }} Colonel '''Mark Charles Heath Underhill''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|OBE|DL}} (born c. 1960) is a retired British Army officer, and a Deputy Lieutenant of Merseyside. He retired as the Chief Executive of the North West Reserve Forces and Cadets Association in February 2025.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nwrfca.org.uk/nw-rfca-chief-executive-officer-mark-underhill-obe-appointed-deputy-lieutenant-county/|title=NW RFCA Chief Executive, Mark Underhill OBE appointed Deputy Lieutenant for county|publisher=North West RFCA|date=8 April 2019|accessdate=2 March 2021}}</ref> Underhill is a Deputy Lieutenant of Merseyside and is Also Chair of the Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund, A charity set up in 1993 with the consent of Elizabeth II to support local good causes and community initiatives within the north west<ref>{{Cite web |title=Benevolent Fund |url=https://www.duchyoflancaster.co.uk/about-the-duchy/duties-of-the-duchy/benevolent-fund/ |access-date=2025-11-06 |website=Duchy of Lancaster}}</ref>

==Military career== Underhill commissioned from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on 7 April 1979, into the Royal Corps of Transport, initially on a short service commission.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=47858|supp=y|page=7119|date=4 June 1979|nolink=y}}</ref> He was promoted to lieutenant on 7 April 1981,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=48589|supp=y|page=5770|date=16 April 1979|nolink=y}}</ref> and after spending time as a troop commander in the Gurkha Transport Regiment in Hong Kong,<ref name="bio">{{cite web|url=https://merseysidelieutenancy.weebly.com/underhill.html|title=Colonel Mark C H Underhill OBE DL|accessdate=2 March 2021}}</ref> he completed the Regular Careers Course and was once more promoted to captain on 7 October 1985.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=50279|supp=y|page=13875|date=7 October 1985|nolink=y}}</ref> Upon promotion to major on 30 September 1990,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=52288|supp=y|page=15449|date=1 October 1990|nolink=y}}</ref> Underhill returned to Hong Kong in command of a squadron, and deployed with the UN as part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus. After transferring to the Royal Logistic Corps upon its formation in April 1993,<ref>{{cite web|title=The Royal Logistic Corps and Forming Corps|url=http://www.rlcmuseum.co.uk/docs/history.html|publisher=The Royal Logistic Corps Museum|access-date=13 May 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130814155505/http://rlcmuseum.co.uk/docs/history.html|archive-date=14 August 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> he once more returned to Hong Kong as the second-in-command of the newly raised Hong Kong Logistic Support Regiment RLC.<ref name="bio"/> Promotion to lieutenant colonel then followed on 30 June 2000,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=55901|supp=y|page=7245|date=4 July 2000|nolink=y}}</ref> along with the role of overseeing the formation of the tri-Service International Military Advisory and Training Team (Sierra Leone). After a posting at the Defence Transport and Movements Agency; and as Commander of Logistic Support, London District; Underhill was once more promoted to colonel on 30 June 2007,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=58381|supp=y|page=9549|date=3 July 2007|nolink=y}}</ref> and took up the role of commander the Royal Logistic Corps Territorial Army.<ref name="bio"/>

As a staff officer, Underhill served as the Assistant Head for Operational Energy Management of the Defence Fuels Group; Commander, Logistic Support & Infrastructure at 4th Division; and finally as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Support, at Headquarters Support Command.<ref name="bio"/> Underhill retired in 2013, at the rank of Colonel.<ref name="LinkedIn">{{cite web|url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/underhillsathome/?originalSubdomain=uk|title=Mark Underhill OBE DL|accessdate=2 March 2021}}</ref>

Underhill has been Deputy Lieutenant of Merseyside since 2019;<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=62606|supp=y|page=6094|date=3 April 2019|nolink=y}}</ref> the Honorary Colonel of 158 Regiment RLC since 2013;<ref name="bio"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://eastmidlandsrfca.co.uk/news/grantham-soldiers-march-into-a-new-future/|title=Grantham soldiers march into a new future|date=26 March 2014|publisher=East Midlands RFCA|accessdate=2 March 2021}}</ref> and the Honorary Life President of the Army Rugby Union since 2016.<ref name="LinkedIn"/> He was, until his retirement in February 2025, the Chief Executive of the North West Reserve Forces and Cadets Association.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/departments/cabinet-office/news/?altTemplate=ViewCategorisedNews&id=100862|title=Re-signing of the Armed Forces Covenant|date=14 June 2019|accessdate=2 March 2021|publisher=Isle of Man Government}}</ref>

Underhill was appointed an MBE in the 2000 Queen's Birthday Honours.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=55879|supp=y|page=55879|date=19 June 2000|nolink=y}}</ref> He was further advanced to an OBE in the Operation TELIC honours list in 2003.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=57100|supp=y|page=10|date=31 October 2003|nolink=y}}</ref>

==Personal life== Underhill is married to Debbie and they have two adult children.<ref name="bio"/>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Underhill, Mark}} Category:Living people Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:Royal Corps of Transport officers Category:Royal Logistic Corps officers Category:1959 births Category:Deputy lieutenants of Merseyside Category:British Army colonels Category:20th-century British Army personnel Category:21st-century British Army personnel