Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Robert Parker born 1880 at Whitehaven, Cumberland who having migrated to the north east met and married in the district of Lanchester in 1914 to Elizabeth Jane Ann Williams with whom he had a daughter Robertina born 1916 at Lanchester, County Durham.
On the outbreak of war he and his family were living at Barnard Castle, he enlisted at Leadgate, County Durham, exact date unknown. Assigned as Private 24627 Durham Light infantry he joined his regiment at their barracks at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, before being sent to Bullswater camp, near Pirbright, Surrey, where the new recruits were divided into the 12th and 13th Battalion. Posted to the 13th Battalion with the onset of winter the tented camp became unusable, they were moved into billets at Malplaquet Barracks in Aldershot, and finally to Bramshott, Hampshire. The troops were still training wearing their own clothes but were issued with blue serge and finally khaki uniforms and leather equipment by February 1915, He departed as part of the British Expeditionary Force, attached to the 68th Brigade, 23rd Division, September 24th 1915. Within days he had joined the battalion in the field spending the rest of 1915 and early 1916 in and out of the trenches at Armentieres and Souchez. March 1916 they took over the front line from the French 17th Division before resting at Bruay in late April then returning to the trenches at Souchez-Angres just prior to the attack at Vimy Ridge. By June 1916 they had moved south to the Somme near Bomy for trench familiarisation with the 23rd Division before entering the fighting at La Boisselle July 7th during the Battle of Albert including the capture of Contalmaison, and later that month and early August were at Pozieres around Munster Alley. After spending the rest of August in reserve at Armentieres they returned to the Somme with the 23rd Division and participated October 7th 1916 at the attack on Le Sars taking 150 German prisoners for the loss of 60 casualties. Battle concluded they were sent north to the Ypres salient.
Private 24627 Robert Parker died April 20th 1917 in Belgium and was interred at Railway Dugouts Burial Ground (Transport Farm), 2 kilometres west of Zillebeke, Belgium, grave VII. J. 35. He was 37 years of age.
His widow Elizabeth received all monies due to him, a pension for herself and their daughter and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 1, Bell’s Cottages, Iveston, Leadgate, County Durham. She commissioned at a cost of 14 shillings an additional inscription to be added to his military headstone, it reads, “God Will Link The Broken Chain When In Heaven We Meet Again.”
Their daughter Robertina Parker married in the district of Lanchester in 1932 to Richard Jobson with whom she had 4 children, Vivien 1933, Robert 1946, Elizabeth 1950, Julia 1951. John Dobson presumably served during WW2 however no record exists. Robertina Jobson nee Parker died in the district of Gateshead, Tyne & Wear (ex County Durham), in 1991. Details of the demise of Elizabeth Jane Ann Parker nee Williams unknown.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
The Blaydon Courier 21/04/1923 reads:-
In loving memory of my dear husband Robert Parker of Iveston killed in action Apr. 20th 1917. Also our dear little son Richard Parker died Sept. 9th 1919. When days are dark and friends are few. This then dear husband and son, we long for you. Let friends be friends if they are true. We lost our best friends when we lost you. Ever remembered by his loving wife and daughter, also his mother, brothers, sisters, brother in law, nieces and nephews.
Robert Parker is remembered at Iveston on I5.01 at Leadgate on L65.02 and L65.03
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 91
