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 44051 10th Battalion, Essex Regiment
John Parker, known as Jack was born around 1900 in Finchingfield, Essex and was the son of John and Angelina Parker (née Cook). The family lived at the Swan Inn in the village before moving to Sudbury . It appears that his father deserted the family and his mother kept the family together employed as a yarn puller at a local silk mill. They lived at one time at 11 Church Row, and also at 1 Inkerman Row. Jack was a member of the local Boys Brigade. He had four brothers and two sisters; the two elder brothers also served at the front, they survived the war.
Jack enlisted underage in Bury St. Edmunds and served with the Bedfordshire Regiment (formerly 4445) having told his mother he was going to work as usual at the local matting factory (possibly William Armes factory). Jack wrote from the trenches requesting ‘Brimstone and treacle’ as he was ‘much troubled by worms’. But his mother would never see him again.
Jack’s battalion formed part of 53rd Brigade, 18th (Eastern) Division, in August 1918 the Allies launched their successful offensive at the Battle of Amiens (8 – 17 August) which would eventually lead to end of the war. The battalion saw action at Amiens and at the Battle of Albert (21 - 23 August).
His mother later told her granddaughter of ‘seeing the telegram boy coming up the road and saying to her daughter’ please God don’t let him stop here’. Every Armistice his mother would always go to the Sudbury War Memorial.
Jack died on 23 August 1918 and lies buried in Albert Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France. A Cross of Remembrance was laid by his grave in March 2014.
He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
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