Name
Frederick William Parcell
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
20/01/1919
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Aircraftman 2nd Class
401545
Royal Air Force
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Not yet known
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hertford Town Memorial St Andrew's Church Memorial, Hertford St Andrew's Church Roll of Honour, Hertford, Diocese - Book of Remembrance, St Albans Cathedral, St Albans, Diocese of St Albans - ROH, St Albans Cathedral, St Albans
Pre War
The St Albans Cathedral Diocese records confirm a connection to Hertford and that he was a Mechanic in the RAF.
Wartime Service
He had served in the Hertfordshire Territorials as Private 4373.
A service record (number 401545) gives these details; Frederick William Parsell From Hartford(sic) in civilian life he was fibre rope maker. He was 5’ 5 ¼” tall, with a chest measurement of 32 ½”. His father was named as also Frederick William Parsell of 6 Carrs Lane, Ware, Herts. He served in the 5 SD (Stores Division).
He was in France in September 1915, when on the 10th he was in Boulogne and sick, by the October 18th he was in Rouen and then to be sent to England on the 22nd.
On 22 October 1916, he was in St Omer, and again sick, “Nervous excitability’ and again sent back to England on 22 November.
46161 F W Parcell Royal Flying Corps. He was found in military hospital records. First admitted on 31 March 1918, his ailment was abdominal abscess. The records of the Napsbury, County of Middlesex War Hospital on 29 May 1918, possibly ward 23, under surgeon Major Hepworth: “Incision of abscess in back sinus of abdomen. Examined”.
He was noted as “Home for discharge, 10/07/1918”. These records confirm him as F W Parcell, Air Mechanic 2nd Class serving in 5th Stores, Royal Air Force, aged 21 and having served for three years and one month.
A transfer (unclear) took place on 22 July 1916, then he was transferred to the RAF on 1 April 1918 – this was when the RAF was formed. At some point he was re-numbered to 401545 – possibly when transferred to the RAF.
He originally entered France on 10 July 1915 and was certainly in France between 17 September and 23 November 1916, plus other times, and was indeed discharged on 25 July 1918, and given the Silver War Badge number 827.
He then seems to have been reduced to an Air Mechanic or Private on 8 August 1918, but oddly this would have been after his discharge.
He died on 20 January 1919 and his mother’s address was then given as 6 Hertingbury Road, Hertford
Additional Information
Not in the CWGC records.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild
