PARKES, Francis

Francis Parkes was born in Stourbridge and was the son of Emmanuel Parkes. It is likely that he had been a regular soldier in the Worcesters before the Great War. In 1914 he was married but would still have been in the Reserve at the outbreak of war. He was called up immediately and sent to his old battalion, the 4th Worcesters, before they were ordered to Gallipoli. The landings of the 25th April were difficult but the Worcesters came ashore at W Beach without serious losses. Three days later they were in the front line at the first battle of Krithia, where they suffered heavily. A second landing took place at Suvla Bay some miles to the north on the 6th August and the 4th were asked to attack again at Krithia in order to provide a diversion. However, while the Suvla Bay landings were virtually unopposed, the Turkish resistance at Krithia was so determined that the battalion lost half its complement in casualties. Private Francis Parkes was killed in action on that day. He was 35 years of age and is commemorated on the Helles, Stourbridge and St. John's church Memorials. His wife later remarried and was living at 6 Griffin's Yard, Birmingham Street, after the war.