Edward A Parker | ParaData

Edward A 'Ted' Parker enlisted into the Territorial Army in May 1933 at Glasgow. He was posted with The Royal Signals. His records list him as an apprentice 'Billposter' before he enlisted. Records suggest he saw service in France in 1940 before volunteering for the airborne forces.

Ted qualified as a military parachutist on Course 142 which ran at RAF Ringway from 13 to 25 November 1944. The course instructors' notes state Ted was:

"very good performance, very good leader, confident and reliable."

Ted's family believe he was initially posted to 1st Airborne Divisional Signals before transferring to the 6th Airborne Divisional Signals, as part of 5th Parachute Brigade, HQ Signals Section, during operations in Normandy (probably with an airlanding unit). Then after completing parachute jump training in November 1944, he served in operations in the Ardennes and Op Varsity. He was demobilised in 1945.

Please see attached official documents for more detail.

By ParaData Editor and documents kindly donated by George Parker (son)

Date not known
1st Airborne Divisional Signals (Sergeant)
Date not known
6th Airborne Divisional Signals, HQ 5th Parachute Brigade (Sergeant)

Operations

Event

Ardennes

After the Allied landings in Normandy and subsequent advance through France and Belgium, the German Army had succeeded in stalling the Allied offensive along their line of defence at the German border - the ‘Siegfried Line’.

Event

Normandy (Operation Overlord)

Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of occupied Europe commonly known as D-Day, saw the 6th Airborne Division for the first time.

Event

Rhine Crossing (Operation Varsity)

Operation Varsity was the largest single airborne operation in history. On a single day, over 16,000 men were inserted by glider and parachute into western Germany. Around 8000 of those came from the British 6th Airborne Division, flying aboard 243 C47 aircraft and 440 gliders.

Decorations

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Documents relating to the service of Sgt Ted Parker

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Royal Signals NCOs' Training Battalion Drill Instructors Harrogate 11 August 1943

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Sgt Ted Parker and colleague demonstrating a radio set to children

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Latest Comments

George Parker said:

Ted was captured during Op Varsity (in fact was in the same transport as the OC of K Section Signals, (Lt. Crawford) who was killed in the same action. He was imprisoned at Stalag X1B until the end of the war.

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Sergeant Edward A Parker

{ Ted }

Service History