Peterborough & The Great War

Biography

Arthur Parker was born in Leeds in 1896 to parents Harry and Emma (nee Noon).  In 1901 Arthur, aged 5, was living at 2 Barton Grove, Holbeck, Leeds with his parents, Harry (33), a slater, Emma (33) and siblings Clifford (7) and Leonard (2).  By 1911, the family had moved to 23 Tempest Road, Beeston Hill, Leeds.  Arthur (15) was a junior clerk at the local Co-op and there are two additional siblings Harry (9) and Frederick (4).

Lance Corporal Arthur Parker was serving with C Company, 2/7th West Yorkshire (Prince of Wales Own) Regiment when he passed through Peterborough East Station on 3 October 1916.  He signed the visitors’ book as “A Lad from Leeds”.  He was stationed at Somerleyton, near Lowestoft.

Arthur’s service record has not been traced, but his medal roll reveals he was killed in action on 3 May 1917, aged 21 years, at the second attack on Bullecourt.  The war diaries of the 2/6^th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (WYR), contains a narrative of the attack carried out by the 185^th Infantry Brigade in which both the 2/6^th and 2/7^th Battalions of WYR took part.  The report includes the casualties suffered by the brigade on 3 May 1917 which were: 48 killed, 330 wounded and 355 missing.  Arthur is buried at Ecoust Military Cemetery, Ecoust-St. Mein.  He was awarded the British War and Allied Victory medals.  For a fuller account of the Battle of Bullecourt please follow this link:  http://www.1914-1918.net/gaz_bullecourt.html

For further information on 2/7th West Yorkshire (Prince of Wales Own) Regiment please go to http://bit.ly/2o6LVov

The Parker family of Leeds lost two sons:  Arthur in 1917, and older brother Clifford in 1918.  A third son, Leonard enlisted and survived the War.

Arthur’s older brother, Clifford served with the West Yorkshire Regiment, York and Lancaster Regiment and Durham Light Infantry.  He spent most of his service in France except for a period back in the England being treated for trench fever: an infectious disease spread by lice, for which treatment and recovery could take up to three months, and was a major medical problem during WW1.  Whilst serving with B Company, 29^th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry Clifford was killed in action in France on 14 October 1918, aged 25 years.  He is buried in the Kandahar Farm Cemetery, Neuve Eglise.

Arthur’s younger brother, Leonard was a Sapper with the Royal Engineers (Inland Waterways and Docks) and in 1918 was a joiner in the 25 Works Company, Mechanical and Shipyard Formation, IW&D, RE at Richborough Kent.  He survived the war and was demobilised in March 1920.  Leonard married Alice Smith in 1919 and they had two children, George and Rowland.  In 1939 the family were living in Beverley, Yorkshire.

Do you recognise the story of this lad from Leeds? Can you tell us more about the Parker family?