Death of a Founder Member of the Corps - 3854260 Sgt Thomas "Tom" Parker

[Ian E Scott]

This pen picture of Tom was passed to me today at his funeral by his son Peter:

The Corp lost one of its oldest founder members on Tuesday 8th February, 2011, with the death of ex Sgt 3854260 Thomas Parker. He was two months short of his 98th birthday.

Tom started his army career in 1931, after running away from home at the age of 18 and joining up in Chesterfield.

He was originally going to join the Sherwood Foresters, the local regiment, with his best friend George but was late arriving at the recruitment office and George had already been.  He was told by the recruitment sergeant that the Sherwood Foresters were “full up but there was one vacancy in the Loyal Regiment at Preston”  So off he went to Preston and the first person he saw in the guard room was George.  

When Tom asked him why he hadn’t joined the Sherwood Foresters, like they’d agreed, he told him that the recruitment sergeant had told him that “they were full up but there was one vacancy in the Loyal Regiment at Preston”

After initial training he was then posted to India and had “one or two skirmishes” with the locals on the North West Frontier.  He then went on to Palestine and during the troubles he was very lucky when the soldier next to him on patrol was shot dead by a sniper.

He was very lucky to get the last place on the boat sailing back to England, whilst the rest of the battalion was posted to Singapore, which later fell to the Japanese.

He left in 1938 but was recalled as war loomed and rejoined the Loyals at Preston.  He was then posted down to Aldershot in 1941 when the Corp was formed and became one of its founder members.  He spent the war travelling the country setting up various cook-houses and was almost busted when he complained to his commanding officer about the facilities he found when posted to Lockerbie.

After leaving the army he became a licensee in Preston but retained his army connections by becoming a Life Member of the 55th Division.

At his funeral on Wednesday, 16th February, the regimental marches of both the Loyal Regiment and the Corp were played.
  
A fitting end to an “Old Soldier”.


Ian Scott writes:

I was fortunate to know Tom back in the late 80's when as an STI in Fulwood Barracks, Preston I was looking to strengthen the ACC Association presence in the North West and organise some social events.  Tom was a stalwart and was always accompanied on every occasion by his son Peter and his wife and family.

The Corps has lost another piece of its bedrock.  Tom and his like were what our great Corps was founded on.

Rest In Peace Old Friend