Pte 235117 Charles Gladstone Parker

• Age: 20
• From: Islington, London
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Charles Gladstone Parker was born in 1897 in Islington, Middlesex and resided in Haringey London and was the son of Charles Alexander Parker and his wife Eleanor (nee Lennard) who were married on the 17th December 1874 at St George's Church, Bloomsbury. Charles was a solicitors clerk of 13 Orange Street, Eleanor was of 59 Russell Square. He was baptised on the 04th July 1897 at St Mark, Tollington Park, Islington.

His mother died aged 50 in the June quarter of 1900.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 39, Wray Crescent, Islington, London.His father, Charles, is a widower aged 49, born 1852 and employed as a solicitor’s clerk and was born in Paddington, London. He is living with his two children Mabel aged 15, born 1886 and Charles aged 4, born 1897 both of whom were born in Islington.

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 47 Lausanne Road Hornsey N, Hornsey, Middlesex. His father Charles is aged 49, born 1852 and employed as a law clerk. He still has his two children living with him, Mabel aged 25, no occupation listed and Charles aged 14 who is at school. They also have a visitor Ethel Lizzie Hodges aged 29, born 1882 in Islington and a boarder named Catherine Stevens a widow aged 74, born 1837 in St Pancras, London staying at the address.

His father died, aged 64, in the December quarter of 1915

Charles enlisted in Mill Hill, London and originally served as Private 78891, Royal Field Artillery and was serving in the 19th Battalion (“A” Company), The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 235117 when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917, aged 20, during the Third Battle of Ypres.

19^th Battalion

The 19^th Battalion started the day in Divisional Reserve but were called forward in the early morning of 31^st July and reached Maple Copse in late afternoon. It was originally detailed to continue with the morning’s attack but this was cancelled and they eventually relieved a Battalion of the 53^rd Brigade in the newly captured line, sustaining casualties from shell fire.

The Battalion was relieved on the night of 3^rd/4^th August.

Although not actively engaged in the assault the Battalion lost 26 men killed or died of wounds with four officers and 101 men wounded.  

Charles' body was not recovered or was subsequenlty lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

Soldiers Effects to married sister Mabel B., no Pension record found. 

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