Military service
Burial/memorial information
Son of Edward and Harriet Elizabeth Parke, of Welford-on-Avon, Stratford-on-Avon, England.
Digital gallery of Private Edmund Parke
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Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
PPCLI at the Menin Gate 8th May 2015 to commemorate 'Originals' killed exactly 100 years before, including Edmund.
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
UK Press article (Croydon Advertiser 22 May 2015) about PPCLI Centennial Commemoration at Bellewaarde/Frezenberg and Menin Gate, and attendance there by Edmund's Great Nephew representing descendents of the 'Originals' killed there.
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
Edmund's Great Nephew (Grandson of his Sister Gwen), Colonel John Power (left), laying the wreath on behalf of the PPCLI 'Originals' during the Centennial Commemoration Parade at the PPCLI Memorial on Bellewaarde Ridge - exactly 100 years to the day since Edmund and some 175 of his comrades were killed there on 8th May 1915.
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
Edmund's name on Menin Gate.
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
Menin Gate - October 2009 … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
Panel 10 of he Menin Gate - August 2012 … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
caption from local newspaper Shrewsbury.
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
Attestation Paper EDMUND FENNING PARKE 20th August 1914 - page 2.
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
Edmund Fenning Parke c1914 (my Grandmother's Brother). Edmund joined Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry on 20 August 1914, immediately after Great Britain declared War. PPCLI was formed from those with former military service in order to get them across to Europe ahead of the rest of Canadian Forces. He had been in the Royal Welsh fusiliers for 2 years in UK - a Territorial or part time Reserve Force. They paused briefly in UK before going into acton in France. PPCLI held off a major attack at Bellewarde (Ypres) on 8 May 1915, at cost of most of the "Old Originals". Edmund was one of some 170 killed, aged only 22 years 10 months. He has no known grave so his name is on the Menin Gate. John Power (Colonel retd Parachute Regiment)
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
Edmund Fenning Parke & Family in Wales c1900. Edmund is sitting front right. His Brother Stuart is sitting front left and also joined up in Canada in 1916 in the Royal Canadian artillery. Edmund was killed with PPCLI on 8 May 1915 and whilst Stuart survived to old age in the UK, he suffered very serious mental problems from the War. Their Sisters are lined up with Parents Edward and Harriet Parke, the other male being Husband of Sister. My Grandmother is the youngest girl sitting to the left of her Mother. I am now 67 (2013) and have very clear memories of my Grandmother Gwen and the Aunts, sadly all long deceased.
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
Edmund Fenning Parke. This is a recently discovered photo of the young Edmund, taken probably around 1912?
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
The Power Brothers laying a wreath on the PPCLI Memorial at Bellewarde (Ypres) in March 2009 to their Grandmother's Brother Edmund Fenning Parke. The Memorial is on the spot where Edmund was killed along with some 170 more of the "Old Originals" of the PPCLI. That is me John the eldest in the centre with Jamie on the right and "little" Brother Peter on the left. There is also a younger Sister Pamela. I recall my Granmother's pleasure when I first visited Edmund's name on the Menin Gate in 1969 - on honeymoon. We have been back many times. Jamie runs "Somme Battlefield Tours".
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
This was the wording on the wreath placed on the PPCLI Memorial at Bellewarde Ridge in March 2009 by the Power Brothers in memory of their Grandmother Gwen's Brother Edmund Fenning Parke. It was very robust and weatherproofed, hammered in on a stake, and should certainly have survived a good long while, but sadly someone must come along and take them down for it disappeared after just a few months.
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
Wording on Memorial to Princess Patricia's canadian Light Infantry at Bellewarde Ridge (Ypres).
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
Today's map of Bellewarde (Ypres) showing PPCLI positions by Company on 8 May 1915
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
Attestation Paper EDMUND FENNING PARKE 20th August 1914 - page 1
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
Inscription on the Menin Gate … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
Edmund Fenning Parke PPCLI KiA 08.05.1915,
Photo kept by his younger Sister Gwen (my Grandmother)
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
E F Parke Letters Page 2
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
E F Parke Biography Page U2
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
E F Parke Biography page U1
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
E F Parke Biography Page U3
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
E F Parke Letters Page 1
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
Site of original burial on 08.05.1915, later lost, so on Menin Gate.
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
From a World War 1 issue of the Edmonton Journal c.May 1915. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
Digital gallery of
Private Edmund Parke
From a World War 1 issue of the Edmonton Journal c.May 1915. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
Image gallery
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PPCLI at the Menin Gate 8th May 2015 to commemorate 'Originals' killed exactly 100 years before, including Edmund.
-
UK Press article (Croydon Advertiser 22 May 2015) about PPCLI Centennial Commemoration at Bellewaarde/Frezenberg and Menin Gate, and attendance there by Edmund's Great Nephew representing descendents of the 'Originals' killed there.
-
Edmund's Great Nephew (Grandson of his Sister Gwen), Colonel John Power (left), laying the wreath on behalf of the PPCLI 'Originals' during the Centennial Commemoration Parade at the PPCLI Memorial on Bellewaarde Ridge - exactly 100 years to the day since Edmund and some 175 of his comrades were killed there on 8th May 1915.
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Edmund's name on Menin Gate.
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Menin Gate - October 2009 … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
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Panel 10 of he Menin Gate - August 2012 … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
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caption from local newspaper Shrewsbury.
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Attestation Paper EDMUND FENNING PARKE 20th August 1914 - page 2.
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Edmund Fenning Parke c1914 (my Grandmother's Brother). Edmund joined Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry on 20 August 1914, immediately after Great Britain declared War. PPCLI was formed from those with former military service in order to get them across to Europe ahead of the rest of Canadian Forces. He had been in the Royal Welsh fusiliers for 2 years in UK - a Territorial or part time Reserve Force. They paused briefly in UK before going into acton in France. PPCLI held off a major attack at Bellewarde (Ypres) on 8 May 1915, at cost of most of the "Old Originals". Edmund was one of some 170 killed, aged only 22 years 10 months. He has no known grave so his name is on the Menin Gate. John Power (Colonel retd Parachute Regiment)
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Edmund Fenning Parke & Family in Wales c1900. Edmund is sitting front right. His Brother Stuart is sitting front left and also joined up in Canada in 1916 in the Royal Canadian artillery. Edmund was killed with PPCLI on 8 May 1915 and whilst Stuart survived to old age in the UK, he suffered very serious mental problems from the War. Their Sisters are lined up with Parents Edward and Harriet Parke, the other male being Husband of Sister. My Grandmother is the youngest girl sitting to the left of her Mother. I am now 67 (2013) and have very clear memories of my Grandmother Gwen and the Aunts, sadly all long deceased.
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Edmund Fenning Parke. This is a recently discovered photo of the young Edmund, taken probably around 1912?
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The Power Brothers laying a wreath on the PPCLI Memorial at Bellewarde (Ypres) in March 2009 to their Grandmother's Brother Edmund Fenning Parke. The Memorial is on the spot where Edmund was killed along with some 170 more of the "Old Originals" of the PPCLI. That is me John the eldest in the centre with Jamie on the right and "little" Brother Peter on the left. There is also a younger Sister Pamela. I recall my Granmother's pleasure when I first visited Edmund's name on the Menin Gate in 1969 - on honeymoon. We have been back many times. Jamie runs "Somme Battlefield Tours".
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This was the wording on the wreath placed on the PPCLI Memorial at Bellewarde Ridge in March 2009 by the Power Brothers in memory of their Grandmother Gwen's Brother Edmund Fenning Parke. It was very robust and weatherproofed, hammered in on a stake, and should certainly have survived a good long while, but sadly someone must come along and take them down for it disappeared after just a few months.
-
Wording on Memorial to Princess Patricia's canadian Light Infantry at Bellewarde Ridge (Ypres).
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Today's map of Bellewarde (Ypres) showing PPCLI positions by Company on 8 May 1915
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Attestation Paper EDMUND FENNING PARKE 20th August 1914 - page 1
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Inscription on the Menin Gate … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
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Edmund Fenning Parke PPCLI KiA 08.05.1915, Photo kept by his younger Sister Gwen (my Grandmother)
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E F Parke Letters Page 2
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E F Parke Biography Page U2
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E F Parke Biography page U1
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E F Parke Biography Page U3
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E F Parke Letters Page 1
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Site of original burial on 08.05.1915, later lost, so on Menin Gate.
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From a World War 1 issue of the Edmonton Journal c.May 1915. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
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From a World War 1 issue of the Edmonton Journal c.May 1915. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
In the Books of Remembrance
Commemorated on:
Page 31 of the First World War Book of Remembrance.
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MENIN GATE (YPRES) MEMORIAL Belgium
The Menin Gate Memorial is situated at the eastern side of the town of Ypres (now Ieper) in the Province of West Flanders, on the road to Menin and Courtrai. It bears the names of 55,000 men who were lost without trace during the defence of the Ypres Salient in the First World War. Designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield and erected by the Imperial (now Commonwealth) War Graves Commission, it consists of a Hall of Memory", 36.6 metres long by 20.1 metres wide. In the centre are broad staircases leading to the ramparts which overlook the moat, and to pillared loggias which run the whole length of the structure. On the inner walls of the Hall, on the side of the staircases and on the walls of the loggias, panels of Portland stone bear the names of the dead, inscribed by regiment and corps. Carved in stone above the central arch are the words:
TO THE ARMIES OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE WHO STOOD HERE FROM 1914 TO 1918 AND TO THOSE OF THEIR DEAD WHO HAVE NO KNOWN GRAVE.
Over the two staircases leading from the main Hall is the inscription:
HERE ARE RECORDED NAMES OF OFFICERS AND MEN WHO FELL IN YPRES SALIENT BUT TO WHOM THE FORTUNE OF WAR DENIED THE KNOWN AND HONOURED BURIAL GIVEN TO THEIR COMRADES IN DEATH.
The dead are remembered to this day in a simple ceremony that takes place every evening at 8:00 p.m. All traffic through the gateway in either direction is halted, and two buglers (on special occasions four) move to the centre of the Hall and sound the Last Post. Two silver trumpets for use in the ceremony are a gift to the Ypres Last Post Committee by an officer of the Royal Canadian Artillery, who served with the 10th Battery, of St. Catharines, Ontario, in Ypres in April 1915."
For more information, visit Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
The Poppy Design is a trademark of The Royal Canadian Legion (Dominion Command) and is used with permission. Click here to learn more about the poppy.
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