Samuel Parker

[Wamwig]

Hi All

I'm interested in Lieutenant Samuel Parker, 5th Battalion Norfolk Regiment, who died on 1 November 1915 and is buried at North Front cemetery, Gibraltar. He was the husband of one of my distant cousins, Eliza Thurston.

Just wondering if SDGW or anyone else had any further information about the circumstances as presumably he died there on the way back from Gallipoli, maybe from wounds received?

Any help would be grateful

Thanks

Anthony

[Coldstreamer]

Soldiers died gives more info for other ranks - no places shown for the officers

any way - just says died (rank Lt and Quartermaster) - was he promoted from the ranks ?

[Wamwig]

Hi Coldstreamer

Seems he was a career soldier as at the time of his death he was 45 and his children had been born 1900-1903 while on service in India, so I presume he had risen through the ranks. Apart from that I know nothing more really at present.

Regards

Anthony

[SteveE]

There's this entry for him from the London Gazette #28710, dated 15th April 1913...

5th Battalion, The Norfolk Regiment;

Samuel Parker (late Colour-Serjeant, The Norfolk Regiment) to be Quartermaster with the honorary rank of Lieutenant. Dated 16th April, 1913.

Link to it is Here

Regards

Steve

[sotonmate]

Anthony

There are six Officer service files for S.PARKER at Kew under WO339:

59460 ; 63696 ; 75825 ; 117937 ; 134288 ; and 136911.

One of these will give you more details about his movements.

Best wishes

Sotonmate

[Wamwig]

Thanks Steve and Sotonmate

I guess a trip to Kew is needed then

Bit more I found out, seems he was quartermaster in the 1/5th (Frank Beck's 'lost' Battalion) and I presume he was either wounded or became ill and died on the way home.

Best Wishes

Anthony

[Greg Bloomfield]

Rob Carman recently sent me the history of the Norfolks (bless him!). The 1/5th deplyed from UK to the Med with an "Honouray Lieutantant" Parker (no initial) as QM. By 17th August there were only seven officers left with the battalion, one of them being the QM who was by this time a Lt Ford.

Can't find any reference to what might have happened to your lad but it might possibly have happened between the landings and the 17th.

[Wamwig]

Thanks Greg

I guess I will only really find out by looking at his records at Kew, he was hardly a lad though being 45!

Regards

Anthony

[Greg Bloomfield]

I think you'll find that then, as now , we're all lads at heart!!!!!!!

Its just a pity the old body won't do as its told every now and again.

[Wamwig]

Hi Greg

Well like you I'm still a lad at heart (think we are only a couple of years apart in age) although yes sometimes the body dosnt like doing what you ask it to! My young son has just started playing rugby and sometimes I hold the crash pads for them, ouch!! Still I THINK I'm 18!!

Best Regards

Anthony

[rob carman]

Wamwig

FL Petre's 'History of the Norfolk Regiment Vol 2 1914-1919" names him as embarking for the Middle East on the Aquitania at Liverpool. There is nothing else about him.

He is not named in MCcrery's "All the King's men" about the 1/5ths at Suvla.

I have only a hard copy of SDGW Norfolk. I don't see him listed there.

His prewar stint with the Norfolks is not discussed by Petre in Vol 1 of his History.

He is listed in the Dereham section of the Norfolk Roll of Honour 1914-1918.

Rob.

[Coldstreamer]

he wont be in a hardcopy as its only other ranks not officers

[Wamwig]

Hi Rob and Coldstreamer

Been off for a day or so and have only just seen your replies

Thanks for the additional info Rob it all helps to piece it together

Hope you all have a good Christmas

Anthony

[Kitty55]

Hi

Having researched the Dereham and Fakenham Times - I've found the following article but no photo of this soldier unfortunately.

I hope this is of some help as it includes quite a lot not only of his movements as a soldier but some family history too. - I've quoted it directly from the paper - so dates etc should be easy for you to work out. I'm sure I found one of his letters too but that'll have to wait for another day. (Please note the grammar is not mine but the papers). I've photographed 90 years of it this paper (mainly just Dereham) so far from 1880 - 1970 and at roughly 5,000 photos per year I've still masses to sort through.

Dereham and Fakenham Times - Saturday, 13th November 1915

Death of Lieut S. Parker - Quartermaster of the 1/5th Norfolks

Many old non-commissioned officers of the Norfolk Regiment who served in India with the 1st Battalion, and many old Volunteers and Territorials in Norfolk, will learn with regret of the death of Lieut S. Parker, the Quartermaster of the 1/5th Battalion Norfolk Regiment, which took place at the Military Hospital at Gibraltar on November 1st. The news reached his wife at East Dereham on Wednesday morning. Mrs Parker was informed by an officer of the RAMC on the staff of the hospital that Lieut. Parker died after an operation.

Lieut Parker left England with his regiment and was taken ill on October 4th, and arrived at Gibratar on October 17th. Extracts from his letters descriptive of the fighting in the actions following the landing of the 1/5 Norfolks on the Pennisula, having appeared in the Dereham and Fakenham Times, and only this week we received from him an appeal to the people of Norfolk to send comforts to the regiment.

The Quartermaster was 45 years of age, and he leaves his wife and three sons. He served thirty years with the colours and for twenty-eight of them he was on the strength of the Norfolk Regiment. He was of the best type of non-commissioned officer of the British Army, and a good soldier. His service in the 1st Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment extended over seventeen years, and for sixteen years he was in India. He left the battalion in 1905 with the rank of Colour-Sergeant, when he was invalided home. He was sent to the second battalion, and when the regiment was sent to South Africa he remained at Colchester as Sergt-Major of details, and later transferred to Warley. It was in 1907 that he applied for an appointment as instructor to the old Volunteer Force, and he was sent to North Walsham Company of the old 3rd Volunteer Battalion. After the passing of the Territorial Force Act he became Col-Sergt-Instructor of the F. Cromer Company of the 5th Battalion Norfolk Regiment, under Captain Bridgewater. Three years ago he left the Army on pension, and for five months he was on the recruiting staff at Yarmouth. When he left Cromer, the Company, of which he was always very proud, presented him with a silver tea service. He was appointed Quartermaster of the 5th Battalion in April 1913, and was gazetted Hon. Lieut. He will be missed by his old comrades at headquarters when they return to Dereham, and he will be remembered by all the survivors of the landing in Gallipoli for his sterling honesty. The staff at Dereham in the days before the war, including Sergt. Cranmer, consisted of five men. Now the Adjutant, the Quartermaster and Sergt Cranmer are gone. The other two are in the 2/5 Norfolks.

thanks and take care Kitty

P.S if anyone has photograph of this soldier I'd love a copy and perhaps I've got some information you'd like in exchange.

thanks and take care Kitty

[mikethejockey]

Hi Everybody

Just to let you know have come across photos of him and I have one of his commissions as quartermaster

[rob carman]

On 29/04/2014 at 14:12, Kitty55 said:

P.S if anyone has photograph of this soldier I'd love a copy and perhaps I've got some information you'd like in exchange.

 

thanks and take care Kitty

 

In case you are still looking, there is a photo of Parker in Storey, 2017, Norfolk in the Great War From Old Photographs and another from the Norwich Mercury, on Great Yarmouth Memories, facebook group.  Let me know if you cannot track them down. 

 

Rob.

[Kitty55]

On 24/07/2020 at 16:03, rob carman said:

 

In case you are still looking, there is a photo of Parker in Storey, 2017, Norfolk in the Great War From Old Photographs and another from the Norwich Mercury, on Great Yarmouth Memories, facebook group.  Let me know if you cannot track them down. 

 

Rob.

Hi Rob

I've got Britain in Old Photographs - Norfolk at War (2003) by Neil and I've also got Norfolk in the Great War, a pictorial history (2008) by him. As well as all his other ones on the Norfolk Regiment but I've never seen a photo of Samuel Parker in them. When I looked for the book on Amazon it seems to be just like these two I've already got, but I've never seen a photo of him. As to the Great Yarmouth Memories facebook group it must have a new title as I can't find it.

One thing is sure I do know how to use FB as I've been running my own group called Dereham in Detail on it for over 3 years now as well as helping admin several other sites. For anyone interestted in Dereham Cenotaph Heroes I've placed all the photos I have of them on this site.

There are plenty of Yarmouth sites but none with the title of just Great Yarmouth Memories.

At the minute I'm going through 2,500 town soldiers from A - Z looking up all their details not just the military aspect, hence I've not been on here very often - too busy in FMP, Ancestry, FWR, Genealogist, NMA etc.

So yes please to any photo of any town solider as I feel it really brings the character of the soldier to life especially when I've got all his details and life adventures. It'll make my war book all the richer for it as I don't just want to concentrate on one aspect of the Great War. like what happened in town but also on the soldiers that went to war, served on home service or others that were stationed in town. I've also been linking up soldiers from one family to other families either in town or locally that married into another soldier's family. Quite a job but oh are there some good stories developing which heve never been written about before.

All credits will be given to people who have helped me find something, as I've been keeping a list and will enter them all at the end of the book in the appendix - referenced to the chapters etc..

So thanks for any help you can give me.

thanks and take care, Kitty

[Kitty55]

On 22/04/2017 at 15:43, mikethejockey said:

Hi Everybody

Just to let you know have come across photos of him and I have one of his commissions as quartermaster

Hi

Sorry I missed your post as I've been busy researching elsewhere. I'm really interested in what you've found out as I've got some other information on him as so would like to feature him in my war book especially as I've also got 7 other soldier's with the surname Parker from town.

thanks and take care, Kitty

[PRC]

Hi Kitty,

 

Don't know if it adds anything, but the following was in the edition of the Norfolk Chronicle, dated Friday, November 19, 1915.

 

THE LATE LIEUT. PARKER

 

MEMORIAL SERVICE AT EAST DEREHAM.

 

A memorial service was held at East Dereham on Sunday afternoon to Lieutenant and Quartermaster S. Parker, 1-5th Norfolk Regiment, who died at Gibraltar, and Trooper Ernest William Jarred, King’s Own Rpyal Regiment Norfolk Yeomanry, killed at the Dardenelles. Both belonged to Dereham, and were much respected.

 

The Vicar (the Rev. W.H. Macnaughton-Jones), said they were having what was called a memorial service to keep in memory those who had departed. As they could do nothing for those who had left them, they were holding the memorial service to show their friends and relatives who were left behind their deep respect for two lives valuable in this world and probably valuable in the world to where they had gone. It was a strange thing but only last Saturday week he received a letter from Lieutenant and Quartermaster Parker. In part of his letter he said; “The regiment has borne itself up to the present in its true British spirit, never faltering when called upon to perform hard work or face the severest dangers, and had therefore been a credit to the county of Norfolk. We are trusting in a higher power that the majority of those left may be spared to see their homes again. Hardly a day passes without a few casualties either in dead or wounded.” With regard to Trooper Jarred he was well-known in the town, and he was connected with church work and he had helped him to organise a children’s service. He liked football and games and all those things a man should like, nor did he regard religion as belonging to a Sunday only. He was earnest in all his work, and a fine soldier.

 

Cheers,

Peter

[rob carman]

[rob carman]

 

Norwich Mercury, downloaded from Great Yarmouth Memories, facebook group, 19 October 2017.  

 

This is how I recorded it in 2017.  I think I  must have substituted Remembers with Memories.  Sorry.

 

Rob.

[Kitty55]

On 21/08/2020 at 13:35, rob carman said:

 

Norwich Mercury, downloaded from Great Yarmouth Memories, facebook group, 19 October 2017.  

 

This is how I recorded it in 2017.  I think I  must have substituted Remembers with Memories.  Sorry.

 

Rob.

 

Hi Rob

Sorry but this isn't my soldier as this one is called CSM Bernard Sydney Parker and is from Gorleston. However, thanks for going to the trouble of showing me the photos of him.

The one I was looking for was Lieut & Q/M Samuel Parker, from East Dereham.

Don't worry about the mix up when I first started collecting photos and articles from the papers about soldiers I saved all CSM B. S. Parker's info from them too. I've still got a copy of this newspaper one in his file along with a letter from another soldier about him being wounded.

At least I've got the information of how my soldier, Samuel Parker died and a letter that was sent to his relatives, so that'll do for my book.

 

 

thanks and take care, Kitty

 

Edited 27 August , 2020 by Kitty55

[Kitty55]

On 19/08/2020 at 00:15, PRC said:

Hi Kitty,

 

Don't know if it adds anything, but the following was in the edition of the Norfolk Chronicle, dated Friday, November 19, 1915.

 

THE LATE LIEUT. PARKER

 

MEMORIAL SERVICE AT EAST DEREHAM.

 

A memorial service was held at East Dereham on Sunday afternoon to Lieutenant and Quartermaster S. Parker, 1-5th Norfolk Regiment, who died at Gibraltar, and Trooper Ernest William Jarred, King’s Own Rpyal Regiment Norfolk Yeomanry, killed at the Dardenelles. Both belonged to Dereham, and were much respected.

 

The Vicar (the Rev. W.H. Macnaughton-Jones), said they were having what was called a memorial service to keep in memory those who had departed. As they could do nothing for those who had left them, they were holding the memorial service to show their friends and relatives who were left behind their deep respect for two lives valuable in this world and probably valuable in the world to where they had gone. It was a strange thing but only last Saturday week he received a letter from Lieutenant and Quartermaster Parker. In part of his letter he said; “The regiment has borne itself up to the present in its true British spirit, never faltering when called upon to perform hard work or face the severest dangers, and had therefore been a credit to the county of Norfolk. We are trusting in a higher power that the majority of those left may be spared to see their homes again. Hardly a day passes without a few casualties either in dead or wounded.” With regard to Trooper Jarred he was well-known in the town, and he was connected with church work and he had helped him to organise a children’s service. He liked football and games and all those things a man should like, nor did he regard religion as belonging to a Sunday only. He was earnest in all his work, and a fine soldier.

 

Cheers,

Peter

 

HI Peter.

Luckily there was a little more about him in the local newspaper and through digging around in archives I've managed to find out how he died exactly.

thanks and take care, Kitty

[Graham Spratt]

Hi,

I don't have information about him, but I thought you might be interested in this.  It's one of the Flander Grasp RBL Badges, and it's dedicated to Samuel.

 

Best regards

Graham

[Kitty55]

Thanks for this it's something I've not got although I've got all the other information available on him now.

Edited 13 September , 2023 by Kitty55