Name
Leslie Parkes
31 Oct 1896
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/10/1916
20
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
43190
Northamptonshire Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ST. SEVER CEMETERY, ROUEN
O. I. O. 10.
France
Headstone Inscription
IN THE MIDST OF LIFE WE ARE IN DEATH
UK & Other Memorials
Letchworth Town Memorial, Church of St Nicholas Memorial, Norton
Pre War
Leslie Parkes was born in Southbourne, Tonbridge Wells on 31 Oct 1896 to Frederick Parkes, harness maker, and Florence Emily (nee Dilnot).
On the 1901 Census the family of parents, Leslie, Frank (born 1898), and Mabel (born 1900) were living at 10, Billett Cottages, Bromley, Kent.
On the 1911 census the family had moved to 67, Common View, Letchworth and consisted of parents, Leslie (errand boy for printer), Frank, Mabel, Charles (born 1903), Cecil (born 1905) and Archibald (born 1906).
Leslie was an apprentice at Garden City Press.
Wartime Service
No Service Record was found for Leslie who was enlisted as Private 15362 in the Bedfordshire Regiment and was posted at some time to the 7th (Service) Battalion. The battalion were part of 54 Brigade 18th (Eastern) Division and had been in France since Jul 1915.
Leslie was at some time transferred to 6th (Service) Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment, also in 54 Brigade, 18th (Eastern) Division: this may have happened after any of the actions the Division took part during the Battles of the Somme in 1916 at Albert (1-13 Jul), Bazentin (14-17 Jul) capturing Trones Wood, Delville Wood (15 Jul-3 Sep), Thiepval (26-28 Sep), Ancre Heights (1 Oct-11 Nov). Leslie was wounded during the last action and although evacuated to No 5 General Hospital at Rouen, he died of his wounds on 31 Oct 1916.
RoH says: gun shot wound scalp and meningitis; Letter to Canon Bailey from Felixstowe saying he was sleeping near A Armishaw on boards with 2 blankets apiece - died on his birthday.
This is one of 75 typed copies of the letters received by the Revd John Baily at St Nicholas Church, Norton, Letchworth, in reply to his letters. The originals are in the Archives at County Hall Hertford, but can be seen in the HAW Archive "here"
Leslie Parkes
3rd Bedfordshire Double 6 (& Section)
Landguard,
Felixstowe
Suffolk
Tuesday 13th
Dear Mr Bailey
Hoping all’s well with the club and Church and sorry I have not written before, but have wrote letters until I have got sick of it.
Am with all Norton boys, there are half a dozen of us in our room. I am sleeping with A Armishaw on the boards with two blankets apiece.
At first we had rather a rough time but we are getting on pretty well now. We have plenty of services here in the tents. Did you read a piece in the Citizen this week on Kitchener’s Kitchen? This was written by A Armishaw and sent to the Skittles Inn of course it is rather exaggerated and things have altered altogether since then.
Am surprised at the fellows here as I expected a few rough chaps but cannot find hardly one, I saw two trainloads of Hitchin drunkards leave for Bedford and I see some of them here but they are as quite as mice, the pubs are only open one hour a night so that we very rarely see a drunkard.
We see plenty of sights here, on the sea, at the fort, the aeroplanes are out all times of the day, we have been on twenty-five mile route marches twice a week, the other day we were given the name of a road and had to find it having to try to get there first, it was about ten miles out. Our company got there first and were taken about a mile away here we were told to get home the best way we could, making strait for home we went through ploughed fields, cabbage fields and woods and caught one or two rabbits.
I must close my letter now as it is bedtime 8.30
Yours truly
Leslie Parkes
Additional Information
The above letter is one of 75 typed copies of the letters received by the Revd John Baily at St Nicholas Church, Norton.
War Gratuity of £9 and arrears of £6 3s 1d was paid to his mother.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Dan Hill, Ellen Barnes, Jonty Wild
