217718 Pte. A. Parry British Army 2nd Btn. West Yorkshire Regiment from:England (d.30th Aug 1917) Private A Parry served with the 2nd Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment. He was executed for desertion on the 30th August 1917 and is buried in Maple Leaf Cemetery in Belgium.
Additional Information: | Today, 14 October 2023, I was going through a photograph and cuttings album kept by my grandfather, William Glenvil Hall, who later became an MP and was a member of Clement Attlee's govermnent after the Second World War. His album contains hand-drawn maps of the trenches from the First World War, in which he served, and I was moved to find an envelope containing 'A few cornflowers picked in one of the British Advanced Saps 30 yds from Germans/Aug. '16'.
A few pages further on, I found a much more chilling item:
'To O.C. "C" Coy.
COPY.
G.R.O. 1453 dated September 5th 1917.
On July 31st 1917, No 24667 Pte A.Parry. West Yorkshire Regt., was with his unit which was moving up the trenches to take part in an attack upon the enemy. He was seen to be lagging behind his platoon and was urged forward by an N.C.O.; five minutes later, however he was absent. He did not take part in the attack, and was arrested at the transport lines on the evening of the same day.
He had been warned on six occasions that an attack was to take place on July 31st, and that all stragglers would be severely dealt with. He was tried by Field General Court-Martial for Desertion and sentenced to death. This sentence was duly carried out at 5.30 a.m. on the 30th August 1917.
The Army Commander Directs that this order be read out to the troops on parade at the first opportunity'.
I wanted to know more about Private Parry, and was comforted slightly to find that he has not been completely forgotten. Thank you. Edward Fenton
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