Chailey 1914-1918

Harold William Parkinson

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2537 Private Harold William Parkinson was a patient at Beechland House in 1917.  He was there not due to wounds but due to sickness.  His entry in Nurse Oliver’s album reads:

 

Rifleman Harold Parkinson

Post Office Rifles

Better known as

Bronchial Billy.  Feb 28th 1917

 

[ha’penny stamp stuck in book]

 

By gum

Its stuck. HP

 

There is also a group photo of hospital patients pasted onto this page and it is possible that Harold is one of the many unidentified patients there.  Nurse Oliver is certainly pictured (back row, third from left) as is the matron, Miss Marshall, who sits at the front with a small dog on her lap.

 

Harold Parkinson enlisted on 9th September 1914 and arrived in France with the Post Office Rifles (the 1/8th London Regiment) on 18th March 1915.  He was overseas for just over one year, returning to England on 22nd March 1916, presumably as a result of sickness.  He was discharged due to sickness on 22nd April 1917.

 

His reference to bronchial problems may indicate that he was gassed – he would certainly have been exposed to clouds of gas at the Battle of Loos in which the 1/8th London Regiment took part, and probably after that as well.

 

The National Archives gives two army numbers for him; the second one: 370722, (which was allocated to him when the Territorials were re-numbered in early 1917), falls within the range of numbers allotted to the Post Office Rifles.

 

 

Sources and Acknowledgements

 

  • The National Archives: Medal Index Card reference: WO 372/15
  • The National Archives: Medal Roll: 1914/15 Star: Roll TP/40 B: Page 39: WO 329/2866
  • The National Archives: Medal Roll: British War & Victory Medals: Roll TP8/101B Page 67: WO 329/1918
  • The National Archives: Silver War Badge: Roll TP/1147: WO 329/3162
  • The Long, Long Trail
If you can add any further information about Harold William Parkinson, please contact me.