William Henry PARSONS - Double View School, Cinderford (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Thursday, June 06, 2013, 16:29 (4193 days ago) @ HarryBrook

Thanks very much HB for your interesting extra detail. So it seems William wasn't "born" a sailor in the traditional sense or already at sea, but had bravely volunteered to serve his country in it's hour of need, much as I'd expected. Given his pre-war job one wonders if he served in the ship's engine-room, clearly more suited to his experience as a skilled engine-driver compared to the Infantry for example, and probably more attractive and better paid too. If this was the case one can only imagine how awful his final moments were, perhaps working deep within the ship when the torpedo struck home....
When he joined in 1916 the pre-war Merchant navy was under hugely-increased demand delivering men & materials to and from the battlefields of France and beyond, plus feeding the Home country. This at a time when many of it's more experienced and key sailors may have joined the more conventional fighting forces before the dangers of the U Boats became clear, so the addition of new recruits like William was key to their continued work.

Personally for me the most interesting part of the Census information by far is the recorded occupations of the people surveyed, so thanks for adding this background detail. Unfortunately I don't know his father's working background, altho' I see from Slowhands' reply that William's grandparents lived at Crump Meadow Colliery abt 1885 so it's possible if not probable his father Walter worked there too ?. Maybe he was also an engine driver given his later Station Terrace address ???

If possible Slowhands can this extra information please be added to the above Census information ?. Thanks for confirming my belief that William's mother was from the Cirencester area, and also that I was wrong in wondering if the whole family originated from there following their jobs (eg nail-making, as others had done).

Back to the Mercury obituary; thanks HB so much for reminding me of this. Am I correct in thinking this might have come from the Laura Morse Scrapbook ?. Only last week I was reminded of this cd and requested it for Father's Day, to me it looks very interesting and good value.
http://79.170.40.163/forestofdeanhistory.org.uk/LHScdWWIscrapbook.html

Finally HB, you mention William is included on the Double View School Memorial.
Do you please know if the Memorial is still in existence, perhaps at the "new" Latimer School which replaced Double View ?. My sisters both attended DV but don't recall any more, they were both VERY keen to leave....
Has anyone transcribed/photographed the DV Memorial ?.

I did lookup online to see if William was recorded on the War Memorial Statue in Cinderford's Triangle, but only have the following list to go on. http://www.memorialtranscripts.co.uk/Compressed/gloucestershire_ww1.html

A William H. Parsons is listed who is probably him, but this man is shown as a Private and the name is quite a common one in those days, so ?. This may well be an understandable error on the Memorial or in transcription, all the names listed appear to be Army men and the statue is a Soldier. I'm ashamed to say I've never actually studied the inscriptions on the Memorial, I will do so and photograph it on my next trip home very soon.
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/gallery/cinderford/pages/page_44.html

Thanks again all, and to William Henry Parsons and family.