1862165 Sapper Henry Parry, Royal Engineers

1862165 Sapper
HENRY PARRY
Royal Engineers
(formerly 10277 Corporal, Notts & Derby Regiment)

Henry Parry was born on 24 May 1891 [1]. He was a long-serving soldier who saw action with the infantry during the Great War of 1914 to 1918 and then later went on to serve in the Royal Engineers during the inter-war years. It is unfortunate that his service papers are no longer available at the Public Record Office in Surrey to provide testimony to his long and faithful service. Instead, this narrative of his military career had to be created from available division histories and regimental journals. The majority of the information presented covering the Great War period was taken from The Eighth Division in War, 1914-1918 by Lieutenant Colonel J.H. Boraston, C.B., O.B.E. and Captain Cyril E.O. Bax, and from The 23^rd Division, 1914-1919 by Lieutenant Colonel H.R. Sandilands, C.M.G., D.S.O. The details of Parry’s service with the Royal Engineers have been taken primarily from issues of The Sapper magazine between 1928 and 1936.

Where the narrative discusses his service in France and Flanders during the war, it is really an account of the movements of his division, brigade and battalion. Without his service papers it is not possible to know if he was with the battalion at all the places and on all the dates mentioned. Surely he must have been on leave during portions of the four years of war and may even have been wounded on one or more occasions and sent home for treatment and recuperation. The reader is asked to take these possibilities into account as the narrative unfolds.

Henry Parry’s actual enlistment date in the Army is unknown. It appears that his first enlistment was as a Private (Regimental Number 10277) in The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) [2]. He eventually was assigned to the 1^st Battalion of the regiment for service in France and Flanders [3]. It is most likely that he enlisted at the Regimental Depot in Derby and then was sent to join the 1^st Battalion in India, a supposition that will be discussed in detail below.

The year of his enlistment is open for debate. There are a number of possibilities with regard to his enlistment date. First of all, with a birth date in 1891, the earliest he could have enlisted for service in the ranks would have been at age 18 in 1909. A 1930 photograph of Parry shows him wearing the Long Service and Good Conduct medal presently in the author’s collection. This medal is the George V version with the bareheaded effigy of the monarch in a field marshal’s uniform on the obverse. Since this medal was issued between 1920 and 1930 for 18 years of service, and since he could not have enlisted prior to 1909, the earliest that Parry could have received this medal is in 1927. The latest he could have received it would have been 1930, in which case he enlisted in 1912.

The 1^st Battalion of the Notts & Derby Regiment was serving in Bombay, India at the outbreak of the war [4]. The battalion had been in India during the years 1909 to 1912 [5], the possible years of Parry’s enlistment; hence, it is logical to assume that he enlisted at the Regimental Depot and was posted to the battalion in India after his period of initial training. His service papers would indicate, therefore, that he had approximately two to five years of service in India before the Great War.

On the 3^rd of September 1914 the battalion sailed from India en route to England, arriving at Plymouth on the 2^nd of October. Shortly after landing, the battalion was assigned to the 24^th Infantry Brigade of the 8^th Division at Hursley Park, near Winchester [6]. If Private Parry had not been assigned to the 1^st Battalion in India prior to the war, then it is most likely that he was assigned to the battalion from the Depot at this time, in preparation for the unit’s deployment to France.

The 1^st Battalion of the Notts & Derby Regiment embarked for France on the 4^th of November 1914 and landed at Le Havre on the 5^th of November. There is no doubt that Private Parry was with the battalion at this time, as his Medal Index Card clearly indicates that he was. The 8^th Division went into the line in the Rue du Bois – Tilleloy Sector, but was not engaged in any significant actions until the following spring.

Private Parry’s first action was at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle from the 10^th to the 14^th of March 1915 when his battalion was engaged near Sign Post Lane Farm [7]. The battalion took part in an attack on the German positions at Neuve Chapelle and captured a large number of enemy soldiers and guns. The battalion suffered 25 percent casualties during this battle and Private Jacob Rivers won the Victoria Cross in the battle for bombing a party of enemy who had massed on the flanks of his company [8].

During 1915 his unit was engaged in three other major actions including the Battle of Fromelles on the 15^th of May (where the battalion lost 347 officers and men), the action at Bois Grenier on the 25^th of September, and the action at Ovillers on the 6^th of October.

On the 18^th of October 1915 the War Office decided to transfer the 24^th Brigade from the 8^th Division, a Regular Army division, to the 23^rd Division, a New Army division. In turn, the 70^th Brigade of the 23^rd Division was assigned to the 8^th Division. The purpose of this exchange of brigades was to give the inexperienced soldiers of the New Army division the opportunity to work with and learn from the men of the Regular Army units. In addition to the exchange of brigades, the 1^st Battalion of the Notts & Derby Regiment left the 24^th Brigade in exchange for the 10^th Battalion of the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment from the 69^th Infantry Brigade [9].

Following this reorganization, things remained rather quiet for the 23^rd Division during the autumn and early winter months of 1915 and remained so until the 1^st of January 1916 when units of the division began trench raids against the enemy. On the 21^st of February 1916 the division was taken out of the front line and sent to a rest area near Bruay. It remained there until the 5^th of March when it was sent into the line in the Carency sector. At this time, Parry’s battalion was located at Lorette on the Souchez Front. On the 13^th of March the division began a move to the Noulette sector and went into line there on the 22^nd of March [10].

Private Parry and his unit came out of the front line again on the 14^th of April 1916 when the 23^rd Division was again moved into a rest area near Bruay. The division went back into line in the Noulette sector on the 10^th of May, and on the 20^th of May Parry’s battalion was engaged in a defensive action against a German attack at Berthonval and subsequently moved from Verdrel to Fosse 10 near Bully Grenay on the 23^rd of May [11].

The 23^rd Division was relieved of front line duties on the 14^th of June 1916 and proceeded to rest areas near Bomy and Vaux in preparation for the start of the great British offensive on the Somme on the 1^st of July. The 23^rd Division did not take part in the attack on the first day of the Somme offensive, but it went into line in the Contalmaison sector on the 4^th of July. On this day Private Parry’s battalion moved from Henencourt to La Boisselle. From their position at La Boisselle, the 1^st Battalion of the Notts & Derby Regiment took part in the first attack on Contalmaison on the 7^th of July, an attack that was not successful. A second attack on the town was made on the 10^th of July when Contalmaison was successfully captured [12].

Following the capture of Contalmaison, the 23^rd Division went to a rest area near St. Gratien on the 11^th of July 1916. Private Parry and his battalion went to Shelter Wood. On the 15^th of July the 24^th Infantry Brigade left the 23^rd Division and returned to the 8^th Division [13].

Life was relatively quiet for Parry and the men of his battalion during August and September of 1916. On the 23^rd of October 1916 the battalion took part in the battle at Le Transloy and after the termination of the action there, the battalion settled in to wait out the winter months of 1916/1917. By February of 1917 Parry was at Bouchavesnes and on the 4^th of March his battalion was in action against the Germans near that town. In rapid succession thereafter, Parry’s battalion fought at Gouzeaucourt (on 12 April) and at Westhoek Ridge in Belgium (on 31 July) during the Battle of Ypres. In this action the men of the battalion captured 200 prisoners and 19 machine guns, and for their services were awarded two Distinguished Service Orders, seven Military Crosses, eight Distinguished Conduct Medals and 19 Military Medals. This is believed to be a record number of decorations for any single battalion in the history of the British Army.

It was not until the 1^st of August 1917 that Parry’s battalion was finally sent into division reserve at Ypres [14]. On the 16^th of August 1917 the 1^st Battalion of the Notts & Derby Regiment was attached to the 25^th Infantry Brigade at the foot of Westhoek Ridge. The battalion saw little action through the autumn and winter of 1917/1918 and was at Poperinghe by the 19^th of January 1918 [15].

The German Spring Offensive on the Somme began on the 21^st of March 1918 and Parry’s battalion was right in the middle of it. The battalion put up a valiant and stubborn defence at St. Christ from the 23^rd to the 24^th of March, but was finally forced back to the vicinity of Omiecourt on the 25^th of March by overwhelming numbers of enemy forces. The German advance was relentless and the battalion was forced to retire many times, reaching Ablaincourt and Méharicourt on the 26^th, Vrély on the 28^th, until they were finally able to hold up the German advance at Morisel on the 30^th of March [16].

A second German offensive began in April of 1918 and Parry’s battalion was at Bois d’Aquenne during the battle of Villers Bretonneux between the 24^th and 25^th of April. The battalion was allotted to the 23^rd Infantry Brigade during this battle and was ordered to move along the southern edge of the wood (Bois d’Aquenne) and then to turn northward into it. They encountered the enemy in strength and drove them towards the eastern edges of the wood. At this stage of the battle the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel R.F. Moore, M.C., was wounded. Deprived of his leadership at this critical juncture, and losing direction in the wood, the battalion was unable to push home its attack and commenced to dig in on a road that ran diagonally through the wood. While digging in the battalion came under a very heavy 5.9-inch barrage and suffered many casualties.

During the battle of the Aisne on the 27^th of May, the battalion was in reserve at Roucy. It was thrown into the line along the River Aisne during this battle to defend a vital bridge at la Pêrcherie. By the 28^th of August the battalion was in a defensive position at Blandford Trench near Gavrelle [17].

During the month of October 1918 the 8^th Division, along with the remainder of the Allied Armies, began the pursuit of the Germans to the Hindenburg Line. At the start of the offensive Parry’s battalion was at Oppy along the Rouvroy-Fresnes Line. From the 6^th to the 8^th of October the battalion advanced eastward through the town of Neuvireuil. Thereafter the march of the 8^th Division to the east was rapid, reaching the following locations by the dates shown below:

10 October:	Near Izel
11 October:	Cuincy
12 October:	Planque
13 October:	West of Douai
17 October:	Eastern edges of Douai
18 October:	Between Rache and Marchiennes
19 October:	Foret de Marchiennes
20 October:	Between Marchiennes and St. Amand
21 October:	St. Amand
22 October:	Cubray
23 October:	West of Odomez
25 October:	Between Odomez and Condé

The 8^th Division was taken out of the line on the 5^th of November and did not go back into the line until the 9^th of November 1918. On the 11^th of November, the day of the Armistice, Parry’s battalion was at Bermissart, Belgium, west of Mons.

By the end of the war, Parry was a Corporal. For his service in France and Flanders he received the 1914 Star and bar with rosette, the British War Medal and Victory Medal [18]. The whereabouts of these medals is not known to the author.

Upon completion of 18 years of service Parry was awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (GVR). This medal is in the author's collection. Unfortunately it appears that a family member or a former collector decided to split Parry's medal group and separate his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal from his Great War trio.

Henry Parry remained in the Army after the Great War and was assigned Army Number 1862165 probably around 1921. Parry did not, however, remain a Corporal in the Notts & Derby Regiment. Instead, he continued his service as a Musician in the Royal Engineers with the rank of Sapper. Parry's Royal Engineers Tracer Card indicates that he enlisted as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers on 28 November 1921 for a period of 6 years with the Colours and 6 years in the Army Reserve. His age on enlistment was 30 years and 188 days. Based on his date of enlistment, his date of birth would have been 21 May 1891.

Immediately after his enlistment he was posted to "E" Company of the Royal Engineers Training Battalion for further posting to the Royal Engineers Band. He joined the band of the Corps of Royal Engineers as a euphonium player and served with the band until just prior to the Second World War. Just how an infantryman became a euphonium player remains a mystery.

Sapper Parry (standing) with his medals,
four Good Conduct Badges,
and his euphonium, c. 1930.

Sapper Parry’s duties with the band took him to many places within the United Kingdom, as the band followed a fairly regular annual routine of playing at both official and non-official events. For most of the time that Parry was with the band, it was conducted by Captain R. Neville Flux, F.R.A.M. [19], the Director of Music. The Band Sergeant was Sergeant F.E. Ralph during most of this period.

During the inter-war years, the full band of the Corps of Royal Engineers, 57 men strong, played at numerous events each year of which the following were typical:

During these events, Sapper Parry frequently came into close contact with many dignitaries of the Army and the Corps of Royal Engineers. The July 1928 Annual Veteran’s Church Service Parade was inspected by none other than General Sir Bindon Blood, G.C.B. On the 20^th of February 1931 Parry played in the farewell parade for Major General G. Walker, C.B., C.B.E., D.S.O. on the square at Brompton Barracks, and on the 18^th of November 1932 the Band played on the occasion of Sir Bindon Blood’s visit to Brompton Barracks to celebrate his 90^th birthday.

All of the activities listed above were in addition to the band members’ normal training as soldiers. Their training included an annual musketry course, usually fired in April, followed by a Spring Drill Course in preparation for marching concerts in full dress to be held once a month for each battalion of the Army.

In addition to these recurring events, Sapper Parry and the Band also played at numerous special events. These included the Band’s first marching concert held at Kitchener Barracks on the 12^th of April 1935 [20] and a full dress marching display on Brompton Square at Chatham on the 21^st of May 1935 in honour of the visiting King’s Indian Orderlies [21]. On the 22^nd of January 1936 the Band attended the Proclamation Parade for King Edward VIII at Rochester Cathedral [22] and on the 28^th of January they formed at the Westminster end of Whitehall to participate in the funeral ceremonies for the late King George V [23].

During Sapper Parry’s service with the Corps Band other significant events occurred. Captain Flux retired from the Army on the 15^th of November 1932 and was replaced as the Director of Music by Lieutenant W. Jones, L.R.A.M., A.R.C.M. [24] On the 7^th of July 1934 eight members of the Band were in a tragic motor accident. Fortunately, Sapper Parry was not among them. Traveling by motor coach to fulfil an engagement at the Café Royal on Regent Street in London, the coach and a private car collided at the junction of Bexleyheath by-pass road and Danson’s Road. The coach overturned, somersaulted twice, and landed with its wheel in the air. Lance Corporal E.H. Banks was killed in the accident and Band Sergeant F.E. Ralph, along with two other sergeants, a lance sergeant and two corporals were injured.

In October of 1935, Sapper Parry received permission to continue his service beyond 21 years. It was not unusual for Band members to serve beyond 21 years. A photograph of the band in The Sapper magazine of September 1930 shows 26 men of the Band (including Sapper Parry) with a total of 618 years of service, or an average of 23.8 years per man.

In the spring of 1936 Band Sergeant Ralph retired from the Army after 30 years of service. The announcement of his retirement was carried in the April 1936 issue of The Sapper magazine. In the same edition of the magazine under news of the band, there was mention of a whist drive and dance held on the 28^th of February 1936 at the Band Room. Musician Parry is mentioned in this article as one of the prize winners. No further mention of Parry is found in issues of The Sapper after this date. His tracer card indicates that he was discharged on 3 July 1938 at the age of 47 years and 1 month.

Following his discharge from the Army, Henry Parry took up residence with his wife Florence at 4 Toledo Paddock, Windsor Road, Gillingham, Kent. The Parry’s are only known to have had one child, a daughter named Barbara H. Their daughter was also living with them immediately after his discharge [25]. The 1939 England and Wales Register indicates that they family was living at the Toledo Paddock address. Henry is shown on the register to be a messenger at the School of Military Engineering at the Royal Engineers Depot in Chatham. He also was a Special Constable for the town of Gillingham. Florence was a housewife (unpaid). Her date of birth is listed as 23 April 1898. Barbara's date of birth is listed as 14 April 1930 and she is shown as attending school.

As an ex-infantryman and ex-Army musician, he probably found it difficult to obtain skilled work. He initially took a position as a labourer at Her Majesty’s Gun Wharf on Dock Road in Chatham. In 1939 he was a Messenger for the School of Military Engineering at the Royal Engineers Depot in Chatham and it appears that he continued to work there until his final retirement [26].

On the 7^th of January 1951 he prepared his last will and testament leaving his estate to his wife Florence and after her death to his daughter Barbara. The witnesses to his will were Roy Lampard of 9 Mill Road, Gillingham, Kent (a Clerk) and R.L. Lampard of the same address, as Shorthand Typist [27].

Henry Parry died at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in Rochester, Kent on the 19^th of November 1958 at the age of 67. The causes of his death were listed as uremia and chronic nephritis. His death was certified by Alistair G. Thomson, MB and the informant of his death was his son-in-law Mr. E.M. Lavender of 53 Broadway, Gillingham, Kent. Henry Parry’s death was registered on the 19^th of November 1958 in the Registration District of Chatham, in the Sub-district of Rochester, in the County of Kent by Elsie M. Heard, Deputy Registrar [28]. Parry’s will was probated in the High Court of Justice on the 15^th of January 1959.

1. BORASTON, J.H. and BAX, C.E.O. The Eighth Division in War, 1914-1918. The Medici Society Limited, London, 1926.

2. JAMES, E.A. Historical Records of British Infantry Regiments in the Great War, 1914-1918. Henry Mills, Ltd., Birmingham, 1975.

3. SANDILANDS, H.R. The 23^rd Division, 1914-1919. William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London, 1925.

4. Certified Copy of an Entry of Death, General Register Office, London, DXZ921213, dated 21 November 2001.

[1] His year of birth was estimated from his age as shown on his death certificate.

[2] The Regimental Number 10277 is listed for him in the death notices published in The Sapper magazine of January 1959. His army number is also published in this issue of the magazine. This same Regimental Number appears on his Medal Index Card for his service during the Great War.

[3] His Medal Index Card (MIC) shows that he served in the 1^st Battalion of the Notts & Derby Regiment in France and Flanders.

[24] Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music and Associate of the Royal College of Music.