Rank
Pte.
Service No.
725077
Unit
109th Battalion “B” Coy., 38th Battalion
Died
9 April, 1917
Age 22
Age 22
Commemorated
Vimy Memorial, Pas de Calais, France
Remembrance:
First World War Book of Remembrance - Page 305
Additional Info
Cleveland Adair Parkes was born 14 September 1894 in Mariposa County, Ontario. His parents, John and Clara (Houston) Parkes had 3 boys and 1 girl by the 1911 Census. In 1910, their oldest son Gladstone died of tuberculosis at just 17 years old. His father John is listed as a constable in the Lindsay Post obituary that was posted after news was received that Cleveland had been killed at Vimy.
On 29 December 1915, Cleveland enlisted with the 109th Battalion in Lindsay, and was working as a clerk in the pay office before being shipped overseas. Once he arrived in England in early December 1916, Cleveland was transferred to the 38th Battalion where he served with several other men who had enlisted with the 109th.
On the first day of the Vimy attack, the 38th Battalion was in the thick of the main battle, and Cleveland would have been alongside other 109th members like Tracy Barjarow, Leonard March, and Charles Cobb who all lost their lives on this same day. The 38th Battalion war diary has a very detailed summary of the entire battle, but sets the scene in brief: Batt in trenches as previously stated, until 835 when the charge was made. The attack was made in four waves with a total strength in the waves of 12 officers and 550 OR. There were, in addition the commanding officer and six other officers at Battalion Headquarters, the RSM, 3 orderly room clerks, 14 signallers, 16 runners, 5 medical staff in Blue Bull Tunnel. During the day, three officers and 60 OR, specialists, were ordered up from Chateau de la Haie, these taking part in subsequent operations. Cleveland was reported as killed in action on the first day of the Vimy offensive, and other than being noted as “Killed in action – attack south east of Souchez” there is no other information available on his situation.
Cleveland Adair Parkes’ name is on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, which honours all Canadians who served during the First World War and bears the names of those who died in France with no known grave. He was 22 years old.
Attestation and other Documents (pdf, 32 pages - 15MB)
