PARKER, Edmund Harcourt
| Service Number: | 5914 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 5 March 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 4th Light Horse Brigade Train |
| Born: | Angle Vale, South Australia, 26 February 1883 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Shoeing and General Smith |
| Died: | Renmark Hospital, Renmark, Sputh Australia, 13 October 1920, aged 37 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Hindmarsh Cemetery, S.A. Lower, B19 |
| Memorials: | Bowden Albert Lodge No 12 U.A.O.D. Roll of Honour, Hindmarsh Way Memorial Methodist Church Honour Roll, Renown Park Brompton School Great War Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 5 Mar 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Corporal, 5914, 4th Light Horse Brigade Train | |
|---|---|---|
| 26 May 1915: | Involvement Corporal, 5914, 4th Light Horse Brigade Train, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '22' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' | |
| 26 May 1915: | Embarked Corporal, 5914, 4th Light Horse Brigade Train, HMAT Afric, Adelaide | |
| 25 Jul 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Corporal, 5914, 4th Light Horse Brigade Train |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Paul Lemar
Edmund was the son of George Edwin PARKER & Mary Hocking ROWE and was born on the 26th of February 1883 in Angle Vale, SA.
His parents were married on the 23rd of February 1880 at the residence of Mary’s parents, in Government Street, North Adelaide.
His father was the son of George Edwin PARKER & Margaret WRIGHT and was born on the 30th of August 1858 in Aldinga, SA.
His mother was the daughter of Peter ROWE & Anne HOCKING and was born on the 8th of October 1850 in Adelaide, SA.
Edmund was the second child born into this family of 6 children.
His father was a shoeing & general Smith and the family lived at 19 Torrens Road, Bowden-on-Hill.
On leaving school Edmund gained an apprenticeship with his father and after 7 years he became a shoeing & general Smith at Ovingham.
The mid 1900’s were not happy years for the Parker family as 3 of Edmunds siblings died in the family home.
Gladys Evelyn died on the 23rd of April 1904, aged 17, Amelia Irene died on the 1st of October 1907, aged 22 and Leslie Gordon died on the 24th of February 1909, aged 20.
At the age of 32, Edmund enlist into the AIF on the 5th of March 1915 in Keswick and was allotted the service number 5914 and posted to A Company, Base Infantry.
He was then transferred to the newly formed 14th Company ASC (Army Service Corps), in Mitcham Camp as a driver/farrier.
The 14th Company ASC was attached to the 4th Light Horse Brigade and on the 16th of April Edmund was promoted to Corporal farrier.
Edmund embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A19 Afric on the 26th of May 1915 with the 15th & 16th Companies ASC of the 2nd Division Train.
They disembarked in Port Suez on the 23rd of June.
The 14th Company ASC never went to Gallipoli and Edmund remained in Egypt looking after the horses.
He then transferred to the 20th Company AASC as part of the 2nd Division Train.
He served in France for nearly 3 years and then embarked from England on the 5th of April 1919 on board HT Warwickshire and disembarked in Adelaide on the 24th of May.
Edmund was discharged from the AIF on the 25th of July 1919.
Edmund died on the 13th of October 1920 in the Renmark Hospital and was buried 2 days later in the Hindmarsh Cemetery; Section Lower B19.
PARKER.—On the 13th October, at Renmark Hospital, Edmund Harcourt (Ted. Art), second son of G. E. and M. H. Parker, of Torrens-road, Bowden-on-the-Hill, aged 37 years 8 months. late 20th A.A.S.C.
His parents were later buried with him.
Military
At the age of 32, Edmund enlist into the AIF on the 5th of March 1915 in Keswick and was allotted the service number 5914 and posted to A Company, Base Infantry.
He listed his mother, of 19 Torrens Road, Bowden-on-Hill, as his next of kin.
On the 1st of April he was transferred to the newly formed 14th Company ASC (Army Service Corps), in Mitcham Camp as a driver/farrier.
The 14th Company ASC was attached to the 4th Light Horse Brigade and on the 16th of April Edmund was promoted to Corporal farrier.
Edmund embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A19 Afric on the 26th of May 1915 with the 15th & 16th Companies ASC of the 2nd Division Train.
They disembarked in Port Suez on the 23rd of June.
The 14th Company ASC never went to Gallipoli and Edmund remained in Egypt looking after the horses.
The 20th Company AASC had been formed in July of 1915 as the headquarter company for the 2nd Division Train and they arrived in Egypt just before Christmas 1915.
When they arrived Edmund transferred into them at Heliopolis and was allotted the new service number 8794.
The 2nd Division Train arrived from Gallipoli on the 5th of January 1916 and after reorganisation they comprised of the following units;
15th Company AASC
16th Company AASC
17th Company AASC
20th Company AASC
The 20th Company ASC was a supply and logistic support unit that provided food, ammunition, equipment, and water to the front line. The ASC was responsible for transporting goods from depots to the front lines and distributing them to units.
On the 20th of March 1916 they embarked from Alexandria and disembarked in Marseilles 8 days later.
The following day they entrained in 2 trains for Abbeville and arrived 2 days later. They spent 4 days here and then entrained to Berguette where they were bussed to Blaringhem and then entrained to Steenwercke.
Croix du Bac was their next destination on the 17th of April and they made their camp at Bac St Maur Station where they distributed food, ammunition, equipment, and water to the front line.
On the 5th of July they moved to Bailleul and then onto Rubempre before reaching Senlis by the end of July. By mid August they had moved back to Rubempre and then entrained to Busseboom, near Poperinghe, Belgium in mid September.
Their next move was to Ribemont in October and then to Albert in November, where they spent Christmas 1916.
They remained here until the 21st of March when they moved to Bapaume.
On the 19th of April Edmund suffered Mumps and was admitted into the 5th Australian Field Ambulance for 3 weeks before rejoining his Company.
Bazentin was there next move in May before returning to Rubempre and then back to Bapaume in July.
On the 12th of July Edmund gained 2 weeks leave to England and when he rejoined his Company they were located at Renescure. They then moved to Reninghelst railhead in September and La Creche in November, where they spent Christmas 1917.
Most of February was spent at Nielles before they moved to Bailleul in March and Bertangles in April.
On the 2nd of May Edmund was transferred to the 15th Company ASC and then temporary detached to the 17th Company ASC and moved to Saint Gratien, Somme, in June.
On the 18th of June Edmund suffered from Pyrexia (fever) and was admitted into the 7th Australian Field Ambulance for 4 days.
Their next move was to Allonville in July and then Eclusier-Vaux in September where Edmund was granted 2 weeks leave to England.
They moved to Roisel in October and to Flesselles in early November and whilst they were here the Armistice was signed on the 11th of November and the guns fell silent.
Christmas 1918 was spent at Charleroi, Belgium and on the 9th of January 1919 Edmund marched out to the ADBD in Le Havre for return to England.
He embarked for England 6 days later and marched into No.1 Command Depot in Sutton Veny, awaiting his return to Australia.
Edmund embarked from England on the 5th of April 1919 on board HT Warwickshire and disembarked in Adelaide on the 24th of May.
Edmund was discharged from the AIF on the 25th of July 1919 and awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War & Victory Medals.