PARKER, CHARLES,
Sergeant, son of George Parker (a Crimean veteran, who died 19 June 1899),
was born at St John's, Kent, on 11 March, 1870, and entered the Royal Horse
Artillery in February 1885, serving in India from 1889 to 1895. He took
part in the South African War from 1899 to 1900: received the Queen's Medal
with clasps for Kimberley, Driefontein, Diamond Hill and Wittebergen; was
promoted to Sergeant by Lord Roberts for gallantry on 1 April, 1900, and was
awarded the Victoria Cross [London Gazette, 26 June, 1900]: "Charles Parker,
Sergeant, Royal Horse Artillery. Date of Act of Bravery: 31 March, 1900.
On the occasion of the action at Korn Spruit on the 31st March, 1900, a
British force, including two batteries of the Royal Horse Artillery, was
retiring from Tha-banchu towards Bloemfontein. The enemy had formed an
ambush at Korn Spruit, and before their presence was discovered by the main
body had captured the greater portion of the baggage column and five out of
the six guns of the leading battery. When the alarm was given, Q Battery,
Royal Horse Artillery, was within three hundred yards of the spruit. Major
Phipps-Hornby, who commanded it, at once wheeled about and moved off at a
gallop under a very heavy fire. One gun was upset when the wheel horse was
shot, and had to be abandoned, with another waggon, the horses of which were
killed. The remainder of the battery reached a position close to some
unfinished railway buildings, and came into action 1,150 yards from the
spruit, remaining in action until ordered to retire. When the order to
retire was received, Major Phipps-Hornby ordered the guns and their limbers
to be run back by hand to where the team of uninjured horses stood behind
the unfinished buildings. The few remaining gunners, assisted by a number
of officers and men of a party of mounted infantry, and directed by Major
Phipps-Hornby and Captain Humphreys, the only remaining officers of the
battery, succeeded in running back four of the guns under shelter. One or
two of the limbers were similarly withdrawn by hand, but the work was most
severe and the distance considerable. In consequence all concerned were so
exhausted that they were unable to drag in the remaining limbers or the
fifth gun. It now became necessary to risk the horses, and volunteers were
called for from among the drivers, who readily responded. Several horses
were killed and men wounded, but at length only one gun and one limber were
left exposed. Four separate attempts were made to rescue these, but when no
more horses were available the attempt had to be given up and the gun and
limber were abandoned. Meanwhile the other guns had been sent on one at a
time, and after passing within seven or eight hundred yards of the enemy, in
rounding the head of a donga and crossing two spruits, they eventually
reached a place of safety, where the battery was reformed. After full
consideration of the circumstances of the case, the Field-Marshal
Commanding-in-Chief in South Africa formed the opinion that the conduct of
all ranks of Q Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, was conspicuously gallant and
daring, but that all were equally brave and devoted in their behaviour. He
therefore decided to treat the case of the battery as one of collective
gallantry, under Rule 13 of the Victoria Cross Warrant, and directed that
one officer should he selected for the decoration of the Victoria Cross by
the officers, one non-commissioned officer by the non-commissioned officers,
and two gunners or drivers by the gunners and drivers. A difficulty arose
with regard to the officer, owing to the fact that there were only two
officers—Major Phipps-Hornby and Captain Humphreys—available for the work of
saving the guns, and both of these had been conspicuous by their gallantry
and by the fearless manner in which they exposed themselves, and each of
them nominated the other for the decoration. It was ultimately decided in
favour of Major Phipps-Hornby, as having been the senior concerned. Charles
Parker, Sergeant, was elected by the non-commissioned officers as described
above. Isaac Lodge, Gunner, and Horace Harry Glasock, Driver, were elected
by the gunners and drivers as described above". Sergeant Parker had two
brothers serving in the same Battery, RHA. He died on 9 August 1918.
