Private Thomas Parker

Private, 18th Battalion, Infantry (Army).

Son of Thomas and Lucy Parker, of Hastings, Ontario. Native of England.

Summary of Service for Private Thomas Parker, reg. no. 195745

Date

Event

Remarks

October 21, 1895

Born

Born at Crexton, Ontario, Canada. The reference to “Crexton” is obscure and may be a spelling mistake. A medical record in this file indicates that he was born at “Croxton, England”.

January 2, 1916

Enlisted in C.E.F.

He enlisted in Peterboro [Peterborough], Ontario with the 93rd Battalion.

January 3, 1916 to July 31, 1916

93rd Battalion

Training with the 93rd Battalion. He is assigned to “D” Company. There are no demerits or any punishments on his record.

June 28, 1916

Anti-Typhoid Injection

July 1916

Assigns Pay

Private Parker assigns pay to his mother, Mrs. J. Parker, at the rate of $20.00 per month. As a private he would earn $1.00 a day plus 0.10 a day for overseas service.

July 5, 1916

Anti-Typhoid Injection and Vaccinations

July 15, 1916

Embarks ship for England

Leaves Halifax, Nova Scotia aboard the S.S. Empress of Britian.

July 25, 1916

Arrives England

Arrives at Liverpool, England.

September 15, 1916

Transferred to the 18th Battalion.

Leaves England for the Canadian Base Depot in France.

September 16, 1916

Arrives France

Arrive at C.B.D. and, after almost a month, transfers to the 18th Battalion, in the field.

October 3, 1916

Arrives 18th Battalion at the Somme.

Private Parker was on of sixty-six replacements to arrive at the Somme on that date. The 18th Battalion war diary relates: “Battalion moved into reserve at SAUGAGE VALLEY. LIEUT. L.A. BISSELL taken on as reinforcement from 28.9.16. LIEUT. A.E. COCK and 3 wounded, 9 o.r.s. admitted to hospital. 66 o.r.s. arrived as reinforcements.” The battalion

November 21, 1916

G.S.W. wound to right thigh. Attended to at No. 5 Canadian Field Ambulance.

G.S.W. is a generic term relating to the wound. It does not, necessarily mean, a gunshot wound. The War Diary relates: “Position quiet. Four patrols covered whole frontage and a Protective patrol remained out until dawn. Enemy working party was dispersed by our Lewis guns. 1 o.r. wounded admitted to hospital.”

November 23, 1916

Moves to No. 4 Canadian Field Ambulance.

December 8, 1916

Returns to Battalion

After a two-week recuperation, Private Parker returns to the Battalion. The Battalion has moved from the Somme Sector to the Calonne Sector.

April 13, 1917

Killed in Action

After surviving service at the Somme, Calonne, and then at Vimy and participating in that attack on April 9, 1917. The War Diary makes not mention of casualties on that date but the Battalion was actively engaged in combat: “Strong daylight patrols from H.Q. and Coy scouts pushed out and [succeeded] in penetrating beyond railway track (LENS/ARRAS Rly.) no enemy were encountered and our observers reported parties of Germans seen retiring along the roads between VIMY AND WILLERVAL. Parties disappeared from view at MONT FORET Quarries. Parties did not appear to be evacuating villages and were seen to be digging in, in front of ACHERVILLE. These facts were immediately reported to Brigade H.Q. and we were ordered to establish outpost 400 yds in font of the railway track, which was done under the direction of Lieuts. Eastwood and Parsons.”

April 19, 1917

Interred

Buried at B.1.C.5.6. Sheet Thelus N.E. Grave Serial No. CB-23 per the Canadian Corps [Graves] Registration Officer.

June 20, 1919

Reburied at the Bois Carre British Cemetery located on Vimy Ridge at the eastern edge of the town of Thelus, France. The cemetery is about 6 kilometres from Canada's Vimy Memorial.

Private Parker’s is moved from his original resting place to join 449 other identified casualties. He is buried with 2 other brother soldiers of the 18th Battalion. Privates A. Goodman and S. Rosenes.