Gunner Edward Gould was born in Bradford and attested for the Royal Artillery in Liverpool in August 1876, aged 23 years. Posted to India in October 1877, he served in 4th Brigade, R.A. during the Second Afghan War and returned to the U.K. in May 1882. As evidenced by his Discharge Papers, Gould experienced rather a chequered career, three times being tried by Court-Martial and twice imprisoned. An endorsement at the time of his discharge at Curragh in June 1884 states that he made a fraudulent declaration on enlistment, failing to mention earlier service in the Militia.