Name
Charles Alfred Parkins
16 April 1897
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
17/02/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
36434
Princess Charlotte of Wales’ (Royal Berkshire) Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
REGINA TRENCH CEMETERY, GRANDCOURT
VII. C. 25.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Little Berkhamsted War Memorial, Not listed on the Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Charles Alfred Parkins was born in Holborn (Clerkenwell), London in on 16 April 1897 the son of William and Emma Parkins and one of seven children. He was baptised on 13 June 1897 at St James Church, Pentonville, London and their address was given as 4 Affleck Street, with his father's occupation given as carman.
On the 1901 Census the family, consisting of parents and five children were living at 4 Affleck Street, Clerkenwell (Pentonville parish) where his father was working as a builder's carman.
His mother was found guilty of the murder of her youngest child Ernest in 1903 whilst insane (post natal depression) and was detained as a criminal lunatic in HM Prison Holloway at His Majesty's pleasure. (She was listed on the 1939 Register as a widowed retired OAP living at 223 Blackstock Road, Islington.)
Charles was the nephew of John Parkins, the dairy farmer at Bush Farm, Epping Green, Herts and in 1911 was living with his uncle and attending school in Little Berkhamsted.
His mother's address on pension records was given as 95 Pentonville Road, London.
Wartime Service
Charles was resident in Islington when he enlisted at Hertford in the Hertfordshire Regiment (service number 5483).
He subsequently transferred to the 6th Battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regiment and was killed in action, age 19, on 17 February 1917 while the battalion was under attack in trenches near Grandcourt.
His body was originally buried near where he fell, but was later exhumed and reburied in Regina Trench British Military Cemetery, France.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £6 10s and pay owing of £2 2s 10d. Pension cards exist with his mother as dependant but give no details of the amount of pension paid.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Martin Cope, Jim Maynard, Jonty Wild
