BORN HULL 1874. SON OF EDWIN PARRY (1843-1921) AND EMMA ROBINSON, OF HULL AND 76, VICTORIA STREET, MOSESGATE, FARNWORTH, LANCASHIRE. HE WORKED AS A COTTON SPINNER, IN FARNWORTH, LANCASHIRE (1911 CENSUS).
MARRIED AT HULL, IN 1913. HUSBAND OF ALICE MAUD CAPES (1886-1927), OF 11, EMPRINGHAM TERRACE, DALTRY STREET, HULL (WAR PENSION ADDRESS). THEY HAD TWO CHILDREN, GEORGE AND EDITH.
HE WAS CONSCRIPTED IN HULL. FORMERLY, PRIVATE, 19934, EAST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT. TRANSFERRED TO THE 2ND WEST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT. SHOT AT DAWN, FOR DESERTION WHILE ON ACTIVE SERVICE, ON 30/08/1917, AGED 43. HE WAS THE EIGHTH SOLDIER TO BE SOT IN HIS DIVISION AND WAS EXECUTED WITH PRIVATE, THOMAS WATTS, 7TH EAST YORKSHIRE REGIENT, A NATIVE FROM HOUGHTON LE SPRING, COUNTY DURHAM.
HIS NAME IS RECORDED ON HULL’S ON WALKER STREET MEMORIAL.
Page 189 of the book “Shot at dawn” by Julian Putkowski and Julian Sykes which mentions Private Albert Parry (and everyone else who died by execution during WW1).
Of the total of 346 men executed by the British military during that war, the offences they were convicted of were:-
- Desertion 266
- Murder 37
- Cowardice 18
- Quitting a post without authority 7
- Striking a superior 6
- Disobedience to a lawful command 5
- Mutiny 3
- Sleeping at post 2
- Casting away arms 2
The breakdown of origin of the men executed was:-
- 291 British Army
- 25 Canadian
- 21 Chinese Labour Corps
- 5 New Zealanders
- 4 West Indian Regiment
Of note, 3,080 men were convicted of capital offences and sentenced to death, but nearly 90% of those had their sentence commuted or suspended. For instance, 393 death sentences were pronounced for “sleeping at post”, but only two were carried out in a particularly egregious case (where the two men involved, had jointly agreed to get some shut-eye while supposed to be on lookout duty, and were literally caught napping)
Forty of the men executed had previously been convicted of capital offences, sentenced to death, and had the sentence suspended; and one man was executed after having been twice sentenced to death – third time unlucky…
NOTE: FRED PARRY, RNR – 92 REDBOURNE STREET, HULL.
