Name
Richard Lionel Parkes
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
07/10/1916
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
Royal Fusiliers *1
9th (County of London) (Service) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 8C, 9A and 16A.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, St Andrew's Church Memorial, Watford, Watford Grammar School Memorial, Watford, Watford Grammar School Book of Remembrance
Pre War
Son of Frank William and Emily Marion (nee LEE) PARKES of Watford.
His parents married 6 June 1893 at St Mary’s, Lutterworth, Leics. Frank died 1919 in Watford aged 51, and was buried 2 July in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford; Emily died 1950 in the Watford district aged 78.
Richard was born 1895 in Watford, and baptised 10 January 1896 at St Andrew’s, Watford. He attended Watford Grammar School from January 1906 to December 1912.
On the 1901 Census, aged 5 he lived in Watford, with his parents and two siblings. On the 1911 Census, aged 15 he still lived in Watford, with his parents and three siblings.
Wartime Service
He attested 21 August 1914 at St Paul’s Churchyard, London, for Short Service (3 years with the Colours): an insurance clerk aged 19 of Watford, 5’8″ tall, C of E, his next-of-kin his father of Watford.
He was formerly Private B/530 7th Battalion, Rifle Brigade, and was appointed Temporary Second Lieutenant (on probation) with the 9th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, 15 August 1916.
He served at Home from 21 August 1914 to 18 May 1915, during which time he was in the Military Isolation Hospital, Aldershot, from 3 March to 7 April 1915 with scarlet fever.
He served in France with the B.E.F. from 19 May 1915, and was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914-15 Star medals, his qualifying date being 19 May 1915; the medals were sent to his mother of Watford.
He was killed in action.
Additional Information
The published Watford Grammar School Book of Remembrance entry reads:
“PARKES, RICHARD LIONEL. School period: January, 1906, to December, 1912. Second Lieutenant, 9th Royal Fusiliers. Two years, two months. Killed in action in France, 7th October, 1916”
There is an article about and a Death announcement for Richard in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 21 October 1916, plus In Memoriams in the issues dated 6 October 1917 and 11 October 1919.
*1 Probably more correctly (County of London) Bn. London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles).
Acknowledgments
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
