PARKES, Edward

Edward Parkes was born in Blackheath but in 1914 he was living at New Tredegar, South Wales. He enlisted in the Staffords and went to the 2nd Battalion which was closely involved in the 1916 Battle of the Somme and in the 1917 Battles of Ypres and Cambrai. In early 1918 the Staffords remained in the front line, facing the Hindenburg Line near Cambrai and expecting the first of the German Spring offensives. Trench warfare was particularly difficult in February with regular and very heavy shelling and it is probable that this was responsible for serious injuries to Private Edward Parkes. He died of wounds on the 28th February and is buried in Ruyaulcourt Cemetery (J 3) near Havrincourt Wood and commemorated on the Blackheath and Halesowen Memorials.