Cecil Clement PARSONS MM

Cecil Clement PARSONS MM Update Details

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PARSONS, Cecil Clement

Service Number:	2001
Enlisted:	28 January 1915, Blackboy Hill, Western Australia
Last Rank:	Corporal
Last Unit:	51st Infantry Battalion (WW1)
Born:	Quorn, South Australia, 14 November 1893
Home Town:	Not yet discovered
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Farm labourer
Died:	Natural Causes, Western Australia, 11 February 1979, aged 85 years
Cemetery:	Not yet discovered
Memorials:

World War 1 Service

28 Jan 1915:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Blackboy Hill, Western Australia
26 Apr 1915:	Embarked AIF WW1, HMAT A20 Hororata
29 Apr 1915:	Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2001, 11th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Hororata, Fremantle
29 Apr 1915:	Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2001, 11th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Hororata embarkation_ship_number: A20 public_note: ''
29 Feb 1916:	Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2001, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1), Transferred from 11th Battalion
15 Apr 1918:	Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 2001, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1)
4 Feb 1919:	Honoured Military Medal, Villers-Bretonneux, 'On night 24th/25th April 1918 during a counter-attack by their Battalion on strong enemy positions south of VILLERS-BRETONNEUX these N.C.Os and men [PARSONS, 5118 W.A. IVEY, 2190 C. PRICE and 3834 W.J. JACKSON], who are Signal Linesmen, under heavy shell and machine gun fire continually worked at repairing the telephone lines which were constantly out by heavy enemy fire. The amount of information received by Battalion and Brigade Headquarters was due to the untiring energy of these men and their absolute disregard for their own personal safety.' Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 15
10 Jun 1919:	Discharged AIF WW1

"Didn't give tuppence"

In the early 1960's Cecil, whilst having a game of evening darts on the verandah with his son in law Alan was recounting when he was wounded in 1918 having received a bullet in the ribs which travelled up to his shoulder. Whilst being examined by the British M.O. (Medical Officer) the M.O. turned to the his assistant and said "I don't think he'll make it". It was at this point he recalled thinking to himself very clearly that he "couldn't give tuppence" whether he lived or died. He closed his eyes and fell asleep sitting upright in a chair. Sometime later a nurse checked on him and commented that he was looking a little better and said she'd see if she could find him a bed which, she did. Cecil began his recovery and returned to Australia in 1919, although they never did remove that bullet.

Biography

Departed for Australia 28 February 1919 HMAT Anchises Disembarked Albany 7 April 1919

War service: Egypt, Gallipoli, Western Front

Service Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

Virtual
War Memorial
Australia