SERVING KING & COUNTRY I
  Leverstock Green Men Who served their country in the Great War of 1914~1918
SURNAMES  P-Z
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SERVING KING & COUNTRY II
- the Women who served in WW1
THE LEVERSTOCK GREEN CHRONICLE
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SERVING KING & COUNTRY I ~ SURNAMES A - O
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This page was last updated: October 16, 2012
ABOVE: Cecil Parkins & some of the other lads sampling the delights of camel tavel in Egypt. -  LEFT & BELOW: CECIL PARKINS, who served in Egypt with the Royal Engineers.
ABOVE:CECIL PARKINS (right with cigarette) appeared to have enjoyed his time in Egypt with the Royal Engineers.
Parker, W
  • Cavalry Brigade
  • enlisted by May 1915
Parkins, Cecil
  • Royal Engineers
  • enlisted by March1916
  • Served in Egypt. 
  • son of William Parkins (fishmonger)
  • Later became landlord of The Leather Bottle, marrying Olive Seabrook daughter of the previous landlord.

LEFT: Walter Parkins  ABOVE LEFT: Walter Parkins (behind groom) at his sister Annie's wedding to Jim Jordon, Jan 1918
ABOVE RIGHT: Cap badge of the 11th Hussars
WILLIAM LEONARD PARKINS (Right) - Number T4/160039 Driver William Leonard Parkins was born and resided in Leverstock Green (Hemel Hempstead). He enlisted at a recruitment centre in Whitehall (London) and became a soldier in the (later Royal) Army Service Corps. William Parkins died on 23 December 1916 at The Military Hospital, Sidney Hall, Weymouth. The cause of death was nephrites and anaemia. He was 31 years' old.
Parkins, William
  • Private,
  • aged 31
  • known as Will
  • Driver T4/160039,
  • Royal Army Service Corps.
  • Died 23rd December 1916 at home.
  • Born Leverstock Green,
  • enlisted Whitehall,
  • resident Rickmansworth.
  • Buried south of the church, near path, in HOLY TRINITY CHURCHYARD, LEVERSTOCK GREEN, HEMEL HEMPSTEAD.
  • son of William Parkins (fishmonger)
Driver William Parkins gravestone in Holy Trinity Churchyard.
Parkins, Thomas
  • at the time of his father, William Parkins' death in 1916, he was said to be serving aboad.
  • Married Emily Sygrave in Oct 1914
  • In Royal Engineers
ABOVE: Thomas & Emily Parkins. 
TOP LEFT: Thomas Parkins, TOP RIGHT: Unmarked photo, possibly Thos. Parkins.  BOTTOM RIGHT: Thomas & Emily's banns 1914
Parkins, Walter
  • possibly in 11th Hussars
  • son of William Parkins
Parkins, Fred
  • with Herts Regiment at the beginning of the war
  • son of William Parkins (fishmonger)
  • beleived discharged Dec 1917 on account of wounds received at Vimy Ridge

WHICH BROTHER?/PERKINS OR PARKINS?

William Parkins, the fishmonger of Westwick Row, had 8 children: two daughters and 6 sons. The younger four children: Frederick (born 1894),Cecil (born 1897), Walter, (born 1898) & Henry, (born 1903), were from his second marriage to Lydia Ashwell. His elder sons, William (born 1884), & Thomas (born 1886) were from him first marriage to Ellen Winch,along with Annie & Ellen.

Many of the family photos were unmarked, and it has not always been easy to sort out which brother is which as they are all very much alike.  To add to the complication of identification, another local family was called Perkins (they ran the Three Horseshoes)

William Parkins the elder died on November 3rd, 1916.  His eldest son, also William (see below), died on 23rd December 1916, and four of his sons were known to be serving with the colours,(assuming the Gazette got that right!) and I beleive three to have been Cecil, Walter & Thomas. Harry was too young to have been in the forces. As the early photos seem to show Fred,

William's daughter Annie married Jim Jordon in January 1918 (see photo below). Fred, was the only adult brother NOT in uniform or not in the picture because they were overseas.

In the Gazette for 5th January 1918 were reports of other members of the Leverstock Green community either on leave discharged.

    "2nd Lieutenant Wright, R.F.C., whose father is an undertaker and wheelwright  at Leverstock Green,  was recently home on two days leave.  Leverstock Green was also glad to welcome home on leave during Christmas the following: Rifleman C.A. Ingham, Queens Westminster Rifles;  Private T. Charles, who has served for thirteen months; and Percy Dell, wounded while fighting in France. --Private F. Perkins has got his discharge on account of a wound received whilst fighting at Vimy Ridge.-- Rifleman C.A. Ingham came home unexpectedly on Christmas Day. Joining the Q.W.R.'s whilst they were stationed at Leverstock Green, he has seen over two years service in France.  Curiously enough he was also fortunately able to get leave about this time of year.

From the evidence of the wedding photo showing Fred in civvies, it seems likley that it was Fred Parkins, not Fred Perkins who was discharged from the forces.
ABOVE & RIGHT: Both these photos were unlabled, and intially the one above was thought to show either Walter or Fred Parkins.  As the photo was almost certainly taken at the Ashridge TA camp immediatly prior to the outbreak of war, then it has to be Fred as Walter was too young at that stage.  Similiarly the right hand photo was thought to be of Walter.  Given Walter's age, and the positive ID left and at the Jordon's wedding,  it is almost certainly of Fred.
The Wedding of Annie Parkins & Jim Jordon, January 1918

On rug L-R:  Winnifred Read, -?- ;Front Row L-R: Fred Parkins, Ellen Read, Jim Jordon, Annie Parkins/Jordon, -?-, Lydia Parkins; Back Row of adults includes William Read (L), Walter Parkins (Centre in uniform), Thomas Parkins (R) with his wife Emily to his right.   It is thought Harry Parkins is the young man to the right of the very back row of children.

Will Parkins in a clip from his sister Ellen's wedding photo in 1905.
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Turner, Lance Corporal
  • Royal Fusiliers
  • enlisted before 1914
Webb, Walter
  • enlisted by May 1915
  • originally in Army Service Corps
  • KIA  in France 4.2. 1917, aged 36.
  • L/Corporal 4th Bedfordshire Regiment
  • Buried Ancre British Cemetary
  • Memorials: Leverstock Green, Hemel Hempstead
  • Born in St. Albans. 
  • Husband of Jane
Warren
  • Army Service Corps
  • enlisted by Feb 1915
Webster, R 
  • Royal Fusiliers
  • enlisted by Feb 1915
(Percy Webster of Sibley's Orchard had 2 sons: Malcolm R. Webster, & Bernard Webster. There were no other Websters to my knowledge in the village. I think it probable that either the first entry in the Gazette should have read B not R Webster, or else, it should have read M R Webster.)
Webster, Bernard
  • Royal Fusiliers
  • enlisted 1914
  • had obtained rank of  2nd Lietenant, when home on leave Jan 1918
West, Arthur
  • KIA,
  • mentioned on school memorial

Wombwell, Herbert
  • Private, Machine Gun Corps
  • Died of wounds 21.7.1918 aged 19
  • Buried Terlinthun British Cemetary
  • Memorials: Leverstock Green, Hemel Hempstead, Marlowes Baptist Church
  • Son of  Elizabeth of Fulbourne Camridgeshire.
  • Originally from Thriplow Cambs.
  • Also interesting to note that according to the Holy Trinity Church Banns book, his brother Sidney George Wombwell of the parish of Papworth in Cambs. married Edith Maud Persey  from Leverstock Green in June 1920 (last banns called May 30th 1920)

Woodwards, Harry
  • Grenadier Guards
  • born Leverstock Green.
  • son of James & Hannah Woodwards
  • Joined the army in 1900
  • Rejoined again at the start of war but became seriously ill in France and was invalided home to New Southgate where he resumed his occupation as an asylum assistant at the London County Asylum.
  • However, the illness returned and he subsequently died on 13 July 1916.
  • aged 35
  • Buried in Holy Trinity Churchyard

Wright, Bernard W
  • 2nd Royal Fusiliers on enlistment
  • enlisted September 1916
  • 1917 drafted to the Western Front where he rendered valuable services whilst engaged as a pilot and made many flights over the German lines.
  • Attached to Australian Flying Corps.
  • son of Robert William Wright, the Wheelright, undertaker and Parish Clerk
  • Acheived rank of 2nd Lieutenant Royal Flying Corp
  • Married Miss Elizabeth Elford in Greenwhich in 1918.
  • KIA, 4th May 1918 in aerial combat over enemy lines.
  • Son B W Wright born  25th August 1918 after his father's death.

HARRY WOODWARDS GRAVESTONES, Holy Trinity Churchyard, Leverstock Green.
ABOVE: Bernard Wright, before leaving for active duties, drew the following sketch in Olive Seabrook's  autograph book.
WALTER WEBB
LEFT: Lieutenant Bernard  W Wright and his wife Elizabeth in 1918.