WALTER RICHARD PARKER, VC.

BORN: 20^th September, 1881, Grantham, Lincolnshire.

Son of Richard (Dairy foreman), and Kate Parker.

1891 Census has them living at 17 Charrington Street, St Pancras, London, along with brother and sister, George and Garnett .

1901 Census has them living at 49 Nottingham Road, Stapleford, Nottingham . Walter is on the Census as Richard.

 Walter Parker spent his early years in London, and moved to Stapleford to begin work at the Stanton Ironworks as a coremaker. At the outbreak of the First World War (1914), Walter Parker enlisted into the Royal Marines Light Infantry Division.

SERVED: Royal Marine Light Infantry, Royal Naval Division.

He was 33 years old, and a Lance-Corporal in the Royal Marine Light Infantry, Royal Marines, Royal Naval Division during the First World War, when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

DATE OF GAZETTE: 22^nd June, 1917.

V.C. CITATION:

On the night of 30 April/1 May 1915 at Gaba Tepe, Gallipoli, Turkey, Lance-Corporal Parker, a volunteer stretcher-bearer, went out with a party of NCOs and men to take ammunition, water and medical stores to an isolated trench containing about 40 men and several wounded. There were no communication trenches leading to the trench, and several men had already been killed in an attempt to reach it.

After crossing an area of about 400 yards swept by machine-gun and rifle fire, Lance-Corporal Parker was alone, the rest of the party having been killed or wounded. On his arrival he gave assistance to the wounded and when the trench was finally evacuated early the next morning, he helped to remove and attend to the casualties, although he himself was seriously wounded.

 Parker never fully recovered from his wounds, and was invalided out of the service in June 1916.The lengthy delay in the award being given is explained by the Commanding Officer, Adjutant, Sergeant Major, and the Company Commander all being wounded at the time of the action for which Parker was awarded the medal. The account of the award also noted that Parker had consistently displayed bravery and energy in the three previous days, during a particularly difficult time as commander of the Battalion's stretcher bearers, when almost every wounded man had to be evacuated over open ground and under fire.

DIED: 28^th November, 1936.

He died aged 55, at Stapleford near Nottingham, and is buried in the local cemetery.

BURIED: STAPLEFORD CEMETERY, NOTTINGHAM. 

A memorial service to him is held annually at St. Helen’s Church, Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, on the Sunday nearest 30th April, by the local Royal Marines Association.

There is a paved area in Stapleford Town Centre named in his honour.

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Marines Museum (Southsea, England).

     Medal Entitlement

Victoria Cross

1914 - 1915 Star

British War Medal 1914 - 1920

Victory Medal 1914 - 1919