The regimentally significant Great War First Battle of Ypres Attack on the Birdcage at Le Gheer 19th December 1914 Battalion Commander’s group awarded to Major and Acting Lieutenant Colonel G.H. Parker, 1st Battalion, Hampshire Regiment. Parker was a veteran of the Boer War in South Africa, where he had been employed at Barberton as the Station Commandant there during April and May 1901, and then in charge of Station Transport there from October 1901 to May 1902. With the Great War, he was a Major and in command of the Depot, but was then immediately promoted to temporary Lieutenant Colonel for duty in command of the newly raised 10th Service Battalion. However owing to horrendous losses, he then found himself posted to the 1st Battalion out on the Western Front on 23rd September 1914 as a Major and second-in-command. The 1st Battalion had within a period of four weeks been commanded by seven different officers, all from the 1st Battalion, of whom two were made prisoners of war, one was wounded, two were invalided, and one was superseded by a senior officer. As of 29th November 1914, Parker was second in command to Lieutenant Colonel Hicks, but then found himself in command as an Acting Lieutenant Colonel when present during the First Battle of Ypres in the attack on the Birdcage at Le Gheer on 19th December 1914, in which action he was killed whilst commanding his Battalion. The regiment history noted: “The regiment thus losing another valued officer of much experience, ‘a born leader’ who had commanded the battalion most successfully.”
Group of 4 with Memorial Plaque and Memorial Scroll: Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902, 4 Clasps: Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1902, renamed in an engraved style; (CAPTAIN G.H. PARKER. 2ND: BN. HAMP. REGT.); 1914 Star with original sew-on Clasp; (MAJOR G.H. PARKER. HAMPS: R.); British War Medal and Victory Medal, the scarce 1st type in bronze, with Mention in Despatches Oakleaf; (MAJOR G.H. PARKER.); Memorial Plaque named to; (GEORGE HASTINGS PARKER), these all housed in a copper frame with laurel leaf surround, glazed, the medals inset into a velvet cushion and back, free standing mount. Also the recipient’s Memorial Scroll with inscription: ‘Major George Hastings Parker Hampshire Regt’, this unmounted, but with evidence of having been sometime framed.
Condition: the first is re-named, otherwise Nearly Extremely Fine, the scroll however with some foxing.
Together with the following:
Buckingham Palace forwarding memorial slip for the Memorial Plaque.
A superb large format colour printed photograph of the recipient as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Hampshire Regiment, this made to look like an original drawing, as done by Henry William Salmon & Son of Whichester, and signed as such in pencil. Sometime framed, with mounting board.
George Hastings Parker was born on 4th July 1870, the son of Captain G.F. Hastings Parker, Royal Navy, and Susan M. Parker. Originally commissioned into the British Army Militia in October 1892 as a 2nd Lieutenant with the 3rd Militia Battalion, Hampshire Regiment. Having transferred to the regular forces, he was promoted to Lieutenant in October 1894 and to Captain in July 1900, and saw service during the Boer War in South Africa as a Captain with the 2nd Battalion.
As such Parker was present on operations in the Cape Colony, the Orange Free State and the Transvaal, when employed at Barberton as the Station Commandant there during April and May 1901, and then in charge of Station Transport there from October 1901 to May 1902.
Parker was then appointed the Superintendent of the Gymnasia at Malta from November 1903 to November 1907, and was promoted to Major in February 1910. With the outbreak of the Great War, in August 1914 Parker was serving as a Major with the 3rd Battalion as the Depot Commander, but was immediately promoted to temporary Lieutenant Colonel for duty in command of the newly raised 10th Service Battalion.
However owing to horrendous losses, he then found himself posted to the 1st Battalion out on the Western Front on 23rd September 1914 as a Major and second-in-command. The 1st Battalion had within a period of four weeks been commanded by seven different officers, all from the 1st Battalion, of whom two were made prisoners of war, one was wounded, two were invalided, and one was superseded by a senior officer. As of 29th November 1914, Parker was second in command to Lieutenant Colonel Hicks, but then found himself in command as an Acting Lieutenant Colonel when present during the First Battle of Ypres in the attack on the Birdcage at Le Gheer on 19th December 1914, in which action he was killed whilst commanding his Battalion. The regiment history noted: “The regiment thus losing another valued officer of much experience, ‘a born leader’ who had commanded the battalion most successfully.”
Parker was posthumously awarded a Mention in Despatches for gallant and distinguished services by Sir John French in his Despatch of 14th January 1915 as published in the London Gazette for 14th January 1915. Parker now lies buried in Ploegsteert Churchyard. It is highly possible that his original Queen’s South Africa Medal was buried with him, and then replaced when his medals were framed by his family, these being claimed by his brother, Colonel H.W.W. Parker in January 1920. His brother’s address was given as Downside, St Giles Hill, Winchester. With copied image of the recipient amongst the research.
