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Australia

William Stanley Parker was born in Hull, England, in 1894, the son of William Parker (1864-1930) and Mary Jane Leadley (1866-1943). The 1911 British census records that, at 16, William worked as an errand boy for a local brickworks, while his younger brother Walter, aged 13, was also employed as an errand boy. He worked at the News Office. The Parker family lived at 6 Wakefield Steet in Hull. Also living with William, Walter, and their parents were siblings—Harold (1891-1963), Lily (1899-?), John Clark (1902-1997), and Ernest Leadley (1904-1981). William had an older sister, Eveline (1891-1943), who was not living with the family. The boys' father, William Sr., was a shoeing smith, a trade to which Harold was apprenticed. Wakefield Street was less than a mile from the Hull dockyards. Bricks were a significant export from Hull. As an errand boy working for a brickworks company, William would have had reason to visit the docks often. Perhaps an idea of adventure overseas began to form in William's mind during that time.

On 17 April 1914, William and Walter sailed from London for Melbourne aboard the Commonwealth & Dominion Line ship Indrapura. They were aged 19 and 16 respectively. A review of the Indrapura's passenger list shows 880 souls aboard ship, of which 623 were single males, most of which listed their occupation as 'farm student', including both Parker boys. The Argus newspaper carried a photo on 28 May 1914 headed 'New Settlers for Victoria – Arrival of the S.S. Indrapura'. The photo was captioned 'Group of boys taken on ship'. William and Walter were part of a Victorian government scheme to attract young British males to work on Victorian farms. The government likely subsidised their fare from London to Melbourne.

Less than three months after the boys arrived in Melbourne, war was declared on Germany. The boys may have wished to enlist immediately; however, Walter was too young as the initial recruiting age in Australia was 19. William could have enlisted; however, that would have meant leaving his younger brother alone in Victoria. Having travelled to Australia together as teenagers without their parents, it seems unlikely that this was an option for William. The brothers must have had a strong connection to each other, and William, as the older brother, may have convinced Walter to make the journey with him to Australia. He could not leave him now.

In June 1915, only weeks after the landings at Gallipoli, the enlistment age was dropped to 18. Walter had turned 18 in May. Consequently, both William and Walter could now enlist. Despite arriving in Australia as 'farm students, ' they both listed their occupations as labourers from Yarra Glen, Victoria, when they travelled to Melbourne and enlisted together in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 13 July 1915. William was now aged 20. However, if you were under 21, you needed parental permission to join the AIF. William's service papers stated, "Father and Mother in England. No guardian in Australia". Walter's stated something similar, "No guardianship in Australia. Mother + Father in England". The boys' Yorkshire accents were likely sufficient for the recruiting officer to believe they were truthful regarding their lack of an Australian-based guardian. Thus, the parental consent requirement was waived. William was allocated service number 3895, and Walter, the preceding service number 3894. They joined the 12th Reinforcements, 6th Battalion. Both listed their father as their next of kin, who still resided in Wakefield Street, Hull, back in England.

The Parker brothers embarked from Melbourne aboard HMAT A40 Ceramic on 23 November 1915, arriving in Egypt in early January 1916. They were sent to a holding camp at Serapeum and joined the 6th Battalion on 22 February 1916. They arrived at the time of the reorganisation of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, which was being expanded to two Corps, I ANZAC and II ANZAC. I ANZAC Corps included veterans of the 1st and 2nd Divisions evacuated from Gallipoli, reinforcements training in Egypt and recent recruits from Australia (such as the Parker brothers). Battalions in the 4th and 5th Divisions were made up of new men from Australia and Gallipoli veterans from Battalions of the 1st and 2nd Divisions who were transferred to the newly formed battalions to provide a core of experience. On 21 February 1916, the 6th Battalion was divided to form the 58th Battalion. Those that stayed with the 6th should have considered themselves fortunate. The men sent to the 58th would be part of the 5th Division that suffered significant casualties in the disastrous battle of Fromelles, Australia's first significant engagement on the Western Front.

In March 1916, the 6th Battalion embarked from Alexandria on H.M.A.T. Ballarat, bound for the Western Front. They disembarked at Marseilles on 2 April 1916 and travelled north by train in cattle cars for 60 hours. As they approached the front, they could hear the sound of artillery in the distance. The 6th Battalion and 5th, 7th and 8th Battalions formed 2nd Brigade AIF of the 1st Australian Division. After a few days at Steenvoorde and Nieppe, the battalion moved on to Steenwerck, where it stayed for almost two weeks before marching to Erquingham. As they approached the trenches of Flanders, they passed farmhouses smashed by artillery shells. However, the men remained behind the line for most of April, training in trench warfare and learning how to handle a gas attack.

The battalion moved into the line near Fleurbaix at the end of April, where they received their first exposure to trench warfare. They participated in a six-week trench tour that ended on 6 June 1916. During this period, the battalion endured daily shellfire. A Gallipoli veteran, 1170 Sergeant John Palmer, would write about this tour in the trenches, saying that it had been the heaviest bombardment he had ever been in. After six weeks in the line, the Battalion completed its tour on 10 June 1916 and marched to Sailly.

The battalion's first significant engagement came at Pozières in July 1916. On 22 July, the sister brigades, 1st and 3rd were used in the attack on Pozieres. Whilst the initial attack had been successful, the German counterattacks and artillery had inflicted significant casualties, and consequently, on the night of 24 July, the 2nd Brigade was pushed forward. The brigade experienced intense artillery fire the next morning while they attempted to build a five to seven-foot-deep trench to repel an expected counterattack. The counterattack never came, and instead, the battalion was mercilessly pounded by German artillery until relieved by the 22nd and 24th Battalions on the night of 26/27 July.

1186 Corporal Arthur John Thomas of the 6th wrote after the battle:

'Pozieres will never be forgotten – a veritable Valley of Death…. In relieving us, they made such a noise that the Boche heard us changing over – they shelled us like blazes. Tis a wonder any of us got out. We had no communications trench so has to cross in the open, so a battalion of men were at stake, and the silly blighters moved us out in single file, it was awful, dozens being killed, blown to bits. Never shall I forget the 26th July 1916.'

The 6th Battalion suffered 19 other ranks killed and six officers and 164 other ranks wounded from the shelling in the trenches at Pozieres. However, William and Walter Parker had come through unscathed.

After its relief at Pozieres, the 6th marched four miles behind the lines to Albert. Here, they received reinforcements and 6th Battalion veterans who had been at base camp or had returned from hospital. At 1400 on 28 July, the battalion marched out of Albert and bivouacked in the wood at Vadincourt. Over the next three days, the battalion undertook a series of marches to Bonneville, where they rested.

The 6th Battalion returned to the trenches at Pozieres on the night of 14/15 August. Moving up to the front line, the battalion took casualties as men were buried in collapsed trenches caused by the constant shelling. The 7th and 8th Battalions were ordered to attack on 18 August. The 6th were in support and were required to dig a jumping-off trench for their sister battalions' attack—this trench they completed. However, the attack by the 7th and 8th was a failure. The 6th were notified on the 19th that they would be sent in with a follow-up attack. However, the attack was cancelled due to the casualties already suffered by the battalion's bomb throwers, who were to be instrumental in the attack. The battalion was relieved by 5th Battalion on the morning of 21 August. This tour in the trenches had cost the battalion three officers and 220 other ranks as casualties, including 48 killed. This tour ended the battalion's engagement at Pozieres.

Following Pozières, the 6th Battalion moved to the Ypres sector in Belgium. Although it was considered a relatively quieter sector, shellfire and small-scale actions continued. Arriving at Poperinghe on 29 August and Ypres the following day, the battalion moved into the reserve trench, relieving a battalion of the Essex Regiment. On 12 September, the battalion moved forward and relieved 7th Battalion. The battalion now spent 13 days on the frontline. The war diary gives a sense of what it was like:

'the mornings were without exception always quiet. Towards 4pm daily Germans through over minenwerfers (mortar bombs) and rifle grenades which were replied to at once by our Stokes and M.T.M.B + field guns' and 'a large amount of patrolling was carried out by officers' patrols at night with a view to ascertain strength of the enemy wire and also to obtain if possible the number of garrison of enemy's front lines.' Finally, 'large amounts of wire were also put out by all companies.'

The battalion was relieved by the 1st Battalion on 25 September having suffered six killed and 22 wounded. Unfortunately, one of those wounded was Walter Parker. On 21 September, he suffered a gunshot wound to the right leg. He was taken to the Casualty Clearing Station and then to No. 13 General Hospital at Boulogne. Here, the decision was made to amputate the leg above the knee. Two days later, he was transported across the Channel to England, where he was admitted to 1st Southern General Hospital in Birmingham. The war was over for Walter. The brothers who had travelled together as teenagers from Hull to Melbourne were now separated, probably for the first time in their lives.

Walter Parker was discharged in the United Kingdom on 26 July 1917. He returned to Hull and was living at 2 Victoria Place, Waverly Street, Hull in August 1917. Walter was officially discharged from the AIF on 30 October 1917.

William was promoted to Lance Corporal on 23 December 1916. He continued to serve with the 6th Battalion through 1917. Although the 6th was not used in the main attack at Second Bullecourt in April 1917, the battalion held the line and patrolled No Man's Land. The battalion was in the trenches from 28 April until 9 May before moving to Baizieux for recreation and training on 22 May. The next day, William was promoted to Corporal. After the stay at Baizieux, the battalion moved to Mailly, where it spent nine days carrying out advance and attack training under various conditions, including open, semi-open and trench warfare, before returning to Baizeux.

On 30 June, 99 reinforcements arrived, bringing the battalion strength up to 37 officers and 1231 other ranks. The battalion spent the following months training before moving to Belgium on 14 September 1917. By this stage of the war, the Germans had changed their defensive tactics and had moved to a defence in depth, which meant that their frontline was lightly held with multiple stronger lines behind. An Allied attack was expected to be blunted through the need to undertake successive assaults on the multiple lines of defensive positions. In response, new offensive tactics were required to be developed. 1st and 2nd Australian Divisions would advance behind a moving artillery barrage. On 20 September, the 6th was used to attack a group of concrete pillboxes at Glencourse Wood, which was successful. However, once again, casualties were significant, with the battalion suffering ten officers and 247 other ranks killed or wounded. Similarly to Pozieres, the attack at Glencourse Wood had resulted in over 20% of the battalion becoming casualties. After this battle, William was promoted to Temporary Sergeant.

The battalion's next major engagement occurred on 4 October at Broodseinde Ridge. At 2 am that day, the battalion moved into position behind marker tapes next to the 8th Battalion in preparation for the attack. The battalion and the 7th Battalion were in the rear of the 2nd Brigade's assaulting battalions. The brigade would launch a sequence of two battalion attacks on successive objectives known as the red and blue lines. The 6th would be in support for the attack on the red line. However, coincidentally, the Germans began preparations for an attack of their own and the battalion was caught out in the open, suffering casualties from the shelling. Having withstood this shelling, the battalion advanced and was ready for its assault on the Blue Line (Celtic Wood) at 8.10 am.

Prior to 8.10 am, an intense four-minute artillery barrage fell immediately ahead of the 6th Battalion's jumping-off point. At 8.10 am, the barrage lifted, and the 6th, along with 1st, 4th, 7th, 21st, 24th, 26th, 27th, 44th and 39th Battalions as well as New Zealand's 3rd Canterbury, 2nd and 3rd Wellington and 2nd Auckland moved off from the Red Line. This was a four-division attack by the I and II ANZAC Corps. The 6th was forced to fight through a series of German strongpoints. They did this by isolating each one and then flanking them and ultimately subduing them with a combination of rifle and Lewis gun, suppressing fire and bomb-throwing. The battalion encountered considerable resistance on the Becelaire-Broodseinde Road, where several concrete blockhouses and strong posts were attacked and captured. After crossing the Becelaire-Broodseinde Road, the battalion had got through the worst of it and reached its objectives on time at which point consolidation of the captured positions commenced. The Germans now shelled the area behind the battalion's forward positions for the remainder of the day and overnight, making the carrying of stores and ammunition difficult as well as hampering communications and the removal of wounded by stretcher-bearers. The battalion was relieved by the 11th Battalion on the night of 5 October. At the end of the two-day operation, the 6th battalion recorded five officers killed outright, two more dying of their wounds and seven wounded, whilst other ranks recorded 30 killed, five dying from their wounds, 148 wounded and 48 missing. All told, the battalion had suffered 245 casualties.

After the casualties at Broodseinde Ridge, William was promoted to Sergeant on 14 October 1917. William had been fortunate to come through the battalion's engagements from July 1916 until the end of November 1917 without being wounded. Others had been less fortunate, which had undoubtedly assisted in his rise through the ranks.

The 6th Battalion returned to Ypres on 22 October in preparation for another operation, this time to support the 4th Canadian Division. The role of the 6th was to act as the brigade reserve. On 25 October, elements of the battalion were inadvertently shelled by the supporting artillery barrage before the attack commenced, which caused a reorganisation of the battalion's attacking platoons. The attack was ultimately successful; however, by the month's end, total casualties from the combined operations of October 1917 totalled 17 officers and 336 other ranks.

In January 1918, William was sent to England to attend a Musketry Instructors Course at Hayling Island. This course kept him away from the battalion until 3 May 1918 and meant he missed the German Spring Offensive.

May 1918 involved the battalion moving in and out of the lines, although not undertaking any significant operations. On 17 May, whilst in the trenches in front of Strazeele, the battalion was subjected to gas shelling.

In June 1918, William contracted influenza and was hospitalised until October 1918. As a result, he missed the "Hundred Days" campaign, a series of Allied offensives beginning in August 1918 that ultimately resulted in a severe German defeat. He rejoined his battalion on 28 October. The war had less than two weeks to run. However, on 8 November, William was granted a month's leave in England, meaning he was away from the battalion when the Armistice was signed on 11 November 1918. That month of leave would have given William more than enough time to spend some time with his family in Hull and catch up with his brother Walter, recovering after his amputated leg.

On 3 December 1918, he rejoined the unit in France, remaining with the battalion until he was granted two weeks' leave in Paris on 25 February 1919. On 10 April 1919, he transferred to England in preparation for his return to Australia as part of Quota 32. Eight days later, he marched into No. 1 Group, England, until sailing aboard Port Darwin on 12 June 1919 for the six-week voyage to Melbourne.

He was discharged from the A.I.F. on 18 September 1919. William was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and Victory Medal for his service.

After the war, William settled in Victoria, and in 1922 he married Rachael Elizabeth Hubbard (1896-1982). He died on 27 September 1975. His brother Walter remained in England, where he married Jennie Gibson (1898-?) in 1920. In the 1939 census, the couple lived at 56 Bilton Grove in Kingston-upon-Hull, not far from his family house on Wakefield Street. Walter was working as a Cartman.