Colonel David Parker

Col DC (David) Parker was born in 1942 and commissioned in Dec 1964. He then served in 1 PARA in Bahrain and Aden. After Staff College at Camberley he was posted to ACGS (OR) and from 1978-80 he was an exchange officer with the US 82nd Airborne. In 1984 he was promoted to Lt Col in the post of SO1 DASD and then took over command of 2 PARA in 1984 and was awarded an MID in 1985. In 1987 he was posted as SO1 Exercises JHQ and from 1990-91 he was SO1 Dinf. In 1991 he was promoted to Colonel and assumed the appointment of Regimental Colonel in Aldershot. His last job was DACOS JHQ Implementation Team and he retired in Nov 1997. He was Regimental Sec in RHQ PARA 2000-2002.    

After 1 PARA’s year in Bahrain, including tours in the Radfan and Aden, David returned with 11 Pl D Coy to UK in February 1966-no mid tour leave or even phone calls possible in those days! To the envy of us all and the amusement of his soldiers, David was chosen to star in a short Army Recruiting film set in Oman and later in 1966 was flown out to Bahrain where 2 PARA was by then stationed to make the film. It was through this film, which was produced in 1967, that he met his first wife Pam.

David’s second wife Anne Fairey and he hosted a regimental ski team each year for over 20 years. Both Anne and David supported the Regiment and its Adventurous Training expeditions through the Alexander Fairey Memorial Fund for over 20 years.

The Alexander Fairey Memorial Fund was set up in memory of Captain Alexander Stuart Fairey. Captain Alexander Stuart Fairey was born on 8 May 1971 in Houghton in the Test Valley, Hampshire, where he spent his childhood. Graduating from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1991, he was commissioned into the Gordon Highlanders and transferred to The Parachute Regiment, where he served until his death in a motorcycle accident on 5 November 1997. Throughout his life, he pursued many Adventure Training activities with great enthusiasm, working as an Instructor at a centre in New Zealand, with John Ridgway at Ardmore in Scotland, and helping to run the Army Adventure Training Centre in Bavaria, Germany. Therefore, the aim of this Trust, set up in his memory, is to assist young soldiers and officers from his two Regiments and young people from Hampshire, and the Test Valley in particular to pursue and benefit from the same challenging and character-building activities that he enjoyed so much.

The Alexander Fairey Memorial Fund aims to assist young soldiers and officers from the late Alexander Fairey’s two Regiments and young people from Hampshire and the Test Valley in particular to pursue challenging and character-building activities. In particular, adventure training courses at recognised centres and properly conducted and organised expeditions.