Pte 22500 Frederick Edwin Parr

• Age: 23
• From: Bootle
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• D.O.W Friday 12th May 1916
• Commemorated at: Corbie Cc Ext
  Panel Ref: I.A.40

Frederick Edwin was born in Bootle in the December quarter of 1892, and was the elder of two children born to Frederick, a grocer born in Mildenhall, Surrey and his wife Madeline Mary (nee Packwood), who married in Liverpool in 1890. Their second child, Doris Madeline, born in 1897, was to marry Alfred Cowen in 1917.

In 1901, Frederick senior, a Grocer’s Shopkeeper, with his wife and two children, Frederick and Doris lived at 90 Gloucester Road, Bootle.

By 1911 they had moved to 59 Burnley Road, Ainsdale, when Frederick senior was a grocer’s manager and young Frederick a grocer’s assistant. 

On 06^th November 1914, Frederick Edwin enlisted in Liverpool, joining the 20th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 22500. giving his age as 22 years and 57 days, his occupation as a grocer, and his next of kin as his father, then living at 16 Hollybank Road, Liverpool. His file shows that he was 5' 5" inches tall and weighed 116 lbs.

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 20th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

He served in France from 07^th November 1915.

On 11^th May 1916 he was wounded in the back and was admitted to 5 CCS, where his wound was diagnosed as a gunshot wound to his abdomen. He died the following day from his wound and is buried in Corbie Communal Cemetery Extension, Grave I A 40 where his headstone bears the epitaph:

"GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS"

Corbie was about 20 kilometres behind the front when Commonwealth forces took over the line from Berles-au-Bois southward to the Somme in July 1915. The town immediately became a medical centre, with Nos 5 and 21 Casualty Clearing Stations based at La Neuville (the suburb across the Ancre) until October 1916 and April 1917 respectively. In November 1916 the front moved east, but the German advance in the Spring of 1918 came within 10 kilometres of the town and brought with it field ambulances of the 47th Division and the 12th Australian Field Ambulance. The communal cemetery was used for burials until May 1916, when the plot set aside was filled and the extension opened. The majority of the graves in the extension are of officers and men who died of wounds in the 1916 Battle of the Somme. The remainder relate to the fighting of 1918. The communal cemetery contains 249 First World War burials, the extension 918. The extension was designed by Charles Holden.

His death was reported in the Liverpool  Echo on 29th May 1916:

"News has been received of the death in France of Private F.E. Parr, of the King's Liverpool Regiment,whose home was at 24,Barndale-road,Mossley-hill, Liverpool. He was severely wounded by a shell in the trenches,and died in hospital. One of his officers, in a letter to the dead soldier's father wrote: 'We are all very sorry to lose so good a comrade,as he has been with the company since the commencement. He was very popular with his platoon,and was a very good soldier in every way."

His personal effects were sent on 04th July 1916 to his mother Mrs Madeleine M.Parr, 24 Barndale Road, Mossley Hill. She received a penson for her son.

Frederick earned his 3 medals which were signed for by Madeline M. Parr on 09th November 1921 .

Completing a sworn declaration in 1919, his father stated that he, his wife and their married daughter, Doris Madeline Cowen, were living at 25 Nicander Road, Liverpool.

He is commemorated in the Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 52 as 4th Battalion (which is likely to be 4th City Battalion, hence 20th Bn).

We currently have no further information on Frederick Edwin Parr, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.