Walter Parker VC Blue plaque unveiling on 11th November 2011
The Grantham Civic Society will be unveiling a commemorative Blue plaque to honour Royal Marine Lance Corporal Walter Parker VC where he was born in Agnes Street at 2pm on Friday 11th November - Armistice Day.
We meet at 1.45pm and the unveiling will be at 2pm with a Blessing from Rev Andrews. I will say a few words about Lance Corporal Parker and the action at Anzac for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Grantham Civic Society will be joined by the following : The Mayor and Mayoress of Grantham Cllr Mike Taylor and Mrs Taylor + Chairman of SKDC, Cllr Mike Cook and Mrs Cook + Col Kelly and RSM Rimmer TA from Prince William of Gloucester Barracks + the Royal British Legion standard bearers and their colleagues from RAFA and the RNA + a Colour Party and two officers from The King's school CCF + the Rector of Grantham Canon Christopher Andrews + Cllr Jacky Smith representing Grantham Future which funded the series of 6 Blue plaques. The Royal Marines Association has been contacted and they hope to be represented. Walter Parker's grandaughter, great grandson and other descendants will be present.
For the unveiling party tea to be served in the Residents' lounge of the Riverside Housing complex in Agnes Street after the unveiling.
For more information on Lance Corporal Walter Parker VC see source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Richard_Parker
Walter Richard Parker VC (20 September 1881 - 27 November 1936) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Parker 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.
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 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 award appeared in the London Gazette on 22 June 1917; the lengthy delay before the award being 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 the battalion's stretcher bearers, when almost every wounded man had to be evacuated over open ground and under fire.
He died, aged 55, at Stapleford near Nottingham and is buried in the local cemetery. A memorial service to him is held annually at Stapleford by the local Royal Marines Association on the Sunday nearest 30 April. There is a paved area in Stapleford town centre named in his honour.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Marines Museum, in Southsea, England.