(updated 2017)

My investigation into the Parkes family and their part in The Great War began 2 days before a Somme trip in the summer of 2009. Visiting my Great Aunt Dee (wife of the late John Hancock and sister-in-law of Malcolm Hancock, who is the subject of much research on this site), she produced the family tree.

Now, I have taken a passing interest in these things over the years, but when it comes to warfare I become hugely interested. On the family tree (picture above), Spencer and Percy Parkes were listed simply as ‘Killed in 1914/18 war’. Being 1st cousins to Malcolm and John, this was close to home.

24 hours of rapid research later, I had discovered that Percy had, in fact, survived, and I was able to visit the Menin Gate on that trip to pay my respects to Spencer who died at 3rd Ypres, 1st Passchendaele, 13th October 1917.

Since then, I have slowly being gathering evidence. Thanks to the excellent online information supplied by Australian War Records, this has not been too difficult. Initially I researched the two on the family tree:

Spencer – son of Ebenezer and Matilda, died 13 October 1917.

Percy – son of Ebenezer and Matilda, survived.

But since the above research I have discovered two more from the same family.

Sydney Ernest Parkes – brother of Spencer and Percy, died 24 May 1915.

Sydney Percy, Son of Henry and Emily, nephew of Sydney Ernest, Percy and Spencer.

And so the process continues . . .