Private 50483 Edward Parton

Killed in Action on Tuesday, 9th April 1918, age 19.
Buried in Grave IX. F. 3. at Vieille-Chapelle New Military Cemetery, Lacouture, Pas De Calais, France.

2nd/5th Bn., Lancashire Fusiliers. 164th Brigade of 55th Division.

Son of Mrs Ethel Parton, of 147, Horseley Heath, Tipton, Staffs.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Tipton, Resident: Unknown.

First landed France & Flanders, post 31st December 1915.
Medal entitlement: British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Commemorated on the Tipton Library, and St. Luke's memorials.
Commemorated here because he appears on a Tipton memorial.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/280525/

Genealogical Data

Birth of Edward Thomas Parton registered March quarter 1898 in Dudley.

1901 Census
14 Mill Street, Tipton, Staffs.
Thomas Parton (36, Iron Moulder, born Tipton), his wife Ethel (34, born Tipton), and their 4 children: Thomas (12, born Tipton), Samuel (8, born Tipton), Lillie (6, born Tipton), and Edward (2, born Tipton).

1911 Census
87 Ballfields, Horseley Heath, Tipton, Staffs.
Thomas Parton (45, Iron Moulder, born Tipton), his wife Ethel (43, born Oldbury), and 4 of their 6 surviving children of 8: Samuel (18, Tube Drawer, born Tipton), Edward (12, born Tipton), Bert (8, born Tipton), and Wilfred (6, born Tipton).

Personal Data

The St. Luke's Memorial commemorates this man as E. Pardon, all other sources refer to him as E. Parton.

Edward’s elder brother, Samuel, was already a full-time soldier at the outbreak of the Great War, he had enlisted as Private 12923 with the Worcestershire Regiment on 5th March 1912. He was one of the ‘Old Contemptibles’ having landed in France, on 12th August 1914. His Military career ended with his permanent discharge on 14th July 1917 having received a severe wound which led to the amputation of his left arm.

After Edward's death, his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £4/2/6d (4 pounds, 2 shillings and 6 pence), this paid to his mother and sole legatee, Ethel, in August 1918. His War Gratuity was £4/0/0d (4 pounds exactly), this was also paid to his mother in December 1919. The value of the War Gratuity suggests that Edward had enlisted in approximately March 1917.

Edward’s mother, Mrs Ethel Parton, was awarded a Dependant’s Pension of 8/10d (8 shillings and 10 pence) per week, effective from 2nd December 1918.

Action resulting in his death

Givenchy lies just north of the La Bassée Canal and had been in British possession for a number of years. Here, on 9th April 1918, the Lancashire Territorials of the 55th Division bore the brunt of the German attack at the commencement of the Battle of the Lys (the German 'Operation Georgette'). The German bombardment began at 4.15am and continued until their infantry assault at 8.45am.

The Lancashire Territorials of the 55th Division faced 3 German Divisions on their own front, while the Portuguese collapse on their left flank brought another German Division into the fight. As the Germans pushed in and around them the Lancashire men remained steady, fell back to their line of resistance along the road to Windy Corner, mounted counter attacks, and hung on. The attack on this and subsequent days was repulsed.

The History of the 55th Division states: "It was afterwards publicly stated by an officer of the German General Staff that the stand made by the Division on April 9th and the days which followed marked the final ruination of the supreme German effort of 1918".

33 Men of the 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers were killed on that day, amongst them Edward Parton. He is buried in Vieille-Chapelle New Military Cemetery at Lacoutre, a post-war concentration cemetery 5 miles north west of Givenchy.

The 55nd (West Lancashire) Division Memorial is situated in Givenchy.

Newspaper Cuttings

None.