Military History

Edward is listed as dying of wounds on 3 Nov 1914 at the 13th General Hospital in Boulogne. We know from records that he would have been transferred to Boulogne from the front lines in the Ypres area. The battalion where in action at Langemarck from the 21st to the 25th Oct 1914 when 92 men were wounded and from 27th Oct to 2nd Nov 1914 they were in action near Gheluvelt. From an article in the Rugby Advertiser on 14 Nov 1914 we know that on the 15th Oct Edward was well and unwounded.

Given the above we are unable to tell from the war diary when or where Edward was wounded and therefore we have not transcribed the war diary entries for that time, however the newspaper article mentioned above is transcribed below thanks to Rugby Family History Group for the transcription and photo.

Rugby Advertiser, 14th November 1914

RUGBY GUARDSMAN’S DEATH FROM WOUNDS.

General sympathy will be felt with Mrs E J Parker, of 19 Corbett Street, Rugby, who has received information that her husband, Lance-Corpl Parker, of the Coldstream Guards, has died from a gunshot wound in the back in a hospital in France. The first news that her husband had been wounded was conveyed to Mrs Parker early last week in the following letter from Sister Cameron, of the Hospital: ”Your husband has been very badly wounded, and I am very much afraid he will not recover. He wished to send a message to you just to say that he had been wounded, and was anxious to get well for your sake and the baby’s, and to send his love".

The official news did not arrive until November 4th, and shortly after this the following letter was received from the Rev Hedley R Burrows, chaplain of the Forces: ” You will have heard by this time that your husband has been taken to his rest.   He died here of his wounds at 1.45 p.m on November 3rd. I was with him just about an hour before the end, and gave him the Blessing. He gave me your address, and sent his love to you and the children. The doctors and nurses worked with great skill and devotion to save his life. I hope you will be comforted in your great loss, and sustained by the sense of power that Christ will bring to all those who suffer in the faithful discharge of their duty. No act of duty done is ever forgotten or thrown away.”

Lance-Corpl Parker, who was 32 years of age and a native of Dunchurch, was well known in the town. He had been in the employ of the L & NW Railway for ten years, and when called up was head shunter. He had served three years with the colours and nine in the reserve, and had signed on for further service. He leaves a widow and two young children, with whom much sympathy is expressed.

In one of his letters from the front he said: ”Things are a bit warm, shells bursting over and around us all day, and we are burrowed in the ground like rabbits. I have just been touched with a bit on the lip and foot, but nothing to hurt – got a thick lip, that’s all.” On October 15th he wrote: ” We are still in the trenches and in the same place but, of course, we must not say where. I expect when we move it will be a move with a vengeance, and I hope that I shall go through it all right. Still, what is to be will be. I thought we should be home for Christmas, but I am doubtful about it now. I am afraid there is some very heavy work to be done yet. It will take a lot more men, and I think that there will be little trouble to get them according to the papers”.

Military History

• 30 Sep 1916 - Admitted as Patient at 30 Stationary Hospital, Salonika suffering from Dysentery
• 3 Oct 1916 - Transferred to 43rd General Hospital, Karaissi
• 15 Oct 1916 - Transferred to Malta on Hospital Ship, Wandilla
• 30 Dec 1916 - Arrived back for duty at 30 Stationary Hospital, Salonika
• 28 Aug 1917 - Admitted to the Convalescent Camp, Salonika suffering from Malaria
• 20 Sep 1917 - Admitted to 43rd General Hospital, Karaissi with enteritis
• 22 Sep 1917 - Recorded as being seriously ill with fibrosis
• 3 Oct 1917 - Invalided to Hospital at Villino Postelli, Sliema, Malta
• 12 Nov 1917 - Invalided home to Queen Alexandra Hospital, Millbank, London
• 6 Jan 1918 - Passed fit to serve by Medical Board
• 9 Jan 1918 - At home in Knowle
• 17 Jan 1918 - Reported for duty at 4th Southern General Hospital, Plymouth (but secretly suffering from Dysentery)
• 26 Feb 1918 - Taken seriously ill at the 4th Southern General Hospital, Plymouth
• 1 Mar 1918 - Found semi-comatose at at 8-30am
• 1 Mar 1918 - Died at 7.35pm

Read more here on the Military Images Forum

Military History

After surviving the Gallipoli Campaign Sidney was wounded during the Charge at Huj (Affair of the Huj) on 8th November 1917 and died of those wounds on 29th November 1917 at one of the Military Hospitals in Cairo, Eygpt.

The Charge at Huj (also known by the British as the Affair of Huj), was an engagement between forces of the British Empire' Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) and the Ottoman Turkish Empire's, Yildirim Army Group during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War. It took place during the Pursuit phase of the Southern Palestine Offensive which eventually captured Jerusalem a month later.

The charge was carried out by units of the 5th Mounted Brigade, against a rearguard position of German, Austrian and Turkish artillery and infantry armed with machine guns. 

The only mounted troops in the area were 170 yeomanry - two full squadrons and two half squadrons from the Worcestershire and Warwickshire Yeomanry - part of the British 5th Mounted Brigade in the Australian Mounted Division. The squadrons manoeuvred under cover to a forming up point 1,000 yd (910 m) on the British right. Advancing under cover of the terrain they got to within 300 yd (270 m) of the position, drew their swords and charged. The Warwickshire Yeomanry squadron attacked the main force of Turkish infantry, then turned and attacked the gun line. The regiment's other half squadron and the Worcestershire Yeomanry squadron attacked the guns from the front, while the remaining troops attacked an infantry position located at the rear behind the main force.

The German and Austrian artillerymen carried on firing until the horsemen were around 20 yd (18 m) away then some took cover underneath their guns. Those who remained standing were mostly stabbed by the swords of the attacking British, while others running away from the guns escaped injury by lying on the ground.

The only officer of the Worcestershire Yeomanry to escape uninjured Lieutenant Mercer described the charge; Machine guns and rifles opened up on us the moment we topped the rise behind which we had formed up. I remember thinking that the sound of crackling bullets was just like hailstorm on a iron-roofed building, so you may guess what the fusillade was....A whole heap of men and horses went down twenty or thirty yards from the muzzles of the guns. The squadron broke into a few scattered horsemen at the guns and seemed to melt away completely. For a time I, at any rate, had the impression that I was the only man left alive. I was amazed to discover we were the victors.

All three charges were successful and the British captured the position, seventy prisoners, eleven pieces of artillery and four machine guns after the main force of infantry withdrew leaving the guns undefended apart from their crews. However British casualties were heavy; of the 170 men taking part, twenty-six were killed, including three squadron commanding officers, forty wounded and 100 horses were killed

The charge is claimed to be one of the last British cavalry charges and was immortalised in the above watercolour painting by the noted British artist Lady Butler.

Military History

Ronald is listed as being killed in action on 30th October 1914. The 1st Battalion war diary entries for the day is transcribed. Please note that the first page has been torn and part of the text is missing and denoted by .... and the subsequent page is in a different hand and it appears that it replaces the original, see below for more. It should be noted that the Battalion was reduced to just over 80 men on a single day - 30th October 1914, again see below

N of Klein Zillebeke- 30.10.1914: The enemy attacked the trenches .... the Battn at daybreak and .... Cavalry on the right giving way .... to enfilade the trenches.

The exact narrative of the casualties that day are unknown but the following officers (6) and about 320 NCO's and men [including 3rd D.C.L.I; 3rd Essex] were found to be missing that day.

No accurate information is obtainable regarding this action but it is hoped that this record will be verified and completed with further details on the return to of those Officers who were actually engaged and now Prisoners of War.

No Officer remained after the 30th October and the party which survived the action on that day (approximately 86 other ranks) were attached to the 2/Queens.

The following is taken from an article on the BBC website (click here) about the dedication of a memorial in Zandvoorde to all the men who lost their lives during the battle.