Current Information:

Age-19

7, Park Grove, Battersea Park Road, Battersea

In the early hours of 14th December, 1914, the 2nd Suffolk battalion of 14 Brigade, 5th Division marched to a position on the Kemmel-Ypres road to support an attack by the 1st Gordon Highlanders and 2nd Royal Scots battalions on Petit Bois, a German position near Wytschaete. The attack at 7.45am by the two Scottish battalions immediately came under heavy machine-gun and rifle fire. On the left the 2nd Royal Scots managed to get into the enemy’s trenches but 1st Gordon Highlanders met very fierce machine gun fire and could only get to within 50 yards of this objective where they went to ground taking what cover they could and eventually they were withdrawn. At 4.30pm, 2nd Suffolk moved up to relieve 2nd Royal Scots in the trenches they had captured and which was now coming under shell and sniper fire. At some stage during the day John Parker was killed.