Stoker 1st Class A Parsons

 

Something of a mystery surrounds Albert Parsons. The Reading Standard published his picture as Albert Parsons from North Street and the official record of the death of Albert Parsons says he was born on 12 February 1894 and was the son of William and Jane Parsons from North Street. His naval record also states that he was born on the same date and that he enlisted in the Royal Navy on 23 August 1912 for an engagement of 12 years.

 

No record of an Albert Parsons at North Street can be found in the 1901 census but Herbert Parsons, born on 23 June 1895, lived there with his parents William Parsons, a farm labourer, and Emma Jane and Herbert Parsons RN is what is on the War Memorial at Theale. He is not listed at the family home in the 1911 census but there is an Albert Parsons, born in Theale and aged 17, listed at Brock Barracks, Reading serving with 3rd Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment. The 3rd Battalion was a Special Reserve battalion formed in 1908 from the old Militia Battalion and was intended to provide reinforcements for the Regular Army in time of war. Recruits underwent six months of full time instruction and three weeks annual training thereafter. Given his birth date, Herbert Parsons would only have been 15 on census night in 1911 so if this is the same person he may have changed his name and falsified his birth date in order to join the Army. If he then transferred to the Navy in 1912 this lie would have followed him.

 

The cap tally in the picture on the left is of HMS HERCULES, on which he served immediately before his posting to HMS FLIRT (seen left), a torpedo boat destroyer and part of the Dover Patrol, in May 1915. On 23 October 1916 it was realised that the German navy was preparing for a raid on the defences in the Strait of Dover. This attack came on the night of 26 October. HMS FLIRT commanded by Lt Cdr R Kellett left Dover at 2000 and at 2200, hearing gunfire from the direction of the line of drifters guarding the anti-submarine barrage, the captain headed towards it. On arrival, the drifter WAVENEY II was seen to be on fire and Lt Cdr Kellett turned on the ship’s searchlight and lowered a whaler to go to the assistance of the crew, some of whom were in the water. At the same time a line of ships came into sight. These ships were in fact half a flotilla of German destroyers from Zeebrugge, two of which opened fire on FLIRT and she was sunk with all hands on board. The only survivors from the ship’s complement of 60 were the six men in the whaler.