Pte. Fred Parker MGC Pte C H Parker Innis. Fusiliers Pte Henry Parker N'thants Pioneers Pte. J T Brown East Surreys

A Patriotic Family - The Records of a Rushden Quartette

Mr. and Mrs. S. Parker, 8, Park-place, Park-road, Rushden, have received news that their son, Pte. Charles Herbert Parker, Inniskilling Fusiliers, has been dangerously wounded in France. Pte. C. H. Parker, joined up in November, 1916, and went to France in February last. He was wounded in April, and was in hospital three months. He went to France again in August. He is 20 years of age and before he joined up he worked in Mr. E. Wrightson’s factory in Rushden.

Pte. C. H. Parker has two brothers serving with the colours in France, Pte. Henry and Pte. Frederick Parker, and a brother-in-law, Pte. J. T. Brown, who has just been officially reported missing since October 10th. The four, although all being in France, never saw each other out there.

Pte. Henry Parker belongs to the Northants Pioneers. Pte. Frederick Parker, M.G.C., has had many narrow escapes, and has proved himself a gallant soldier, going “over the top” under heavy shell-fire, and fetching in a wounded officer. Once, when lying in a shell hole with some comrades, a shell killed all his comrades and blew him into the air. He stopped for six hours in a shell hole with his wounded officer (whose servant he was), being also slightly wounded himself. The officer died afterwards from the effects of his wounds. In his section every man was killed except himself and another who was wounded.

Pte. J. T. Brown, of the East Surreys, joined up in February last, and went to France in May, and is now reported missing. Before joining up he worked in Mr. C. W. Horrell’s factory. All four men were officers servants.

Wounded a Second Time — Experience of a Rushden Soldier

Mr and Mrs S Parker, of 8, Park-place, Rushden, received an official telegram on Saturday morning giving the information that their third son, 40751, Pte Charles Herbert Parker, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, has been dangerously wounded and admitted into No. 20 Casualty Clearing Station. Permission to visit him cannot be granted.

This is the second time Pte Parker has been wounded, the first occasion being in April last year, when he received a severe gunshot wound in the right thigh. He was sent home to Winchester Hospital, and remained there about three months, subsequently returning to Frances about the end of August.

Pte Parker enlisted about 12 months ago, prior to which time he was in the employ of Mr Ebenezer Wrighton, boot manufacturer, Rushden.

Mr and Mrs Parker have two other sons serving their country, viz., Pte Fredk. Parker, of the machine Gun Corps, who it is thought may be in Italy, and Pte Henry Parker, of the Northants Pioneers, who has been in France two years. Both of these soldiers have had very narrow escapes, but up to the present have happily not met with serious injury.