Company Sergeant-Major David George Parfitt (R.I.P.).
8th Canadian Infantry Battalion.
Killed-in-Action 26 September 1916.
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This Article is taken from, and can be read in full at,
The identity of a previously-unknown Canadian Soldier of The First World War in The Commonwealth War Graves Commission Regina Trench Cemetery, Grandcourt, France, is now confirmed as Company Sergeant-Major David George Parfitt.
David George Parfitt was born on 4 July 1891, in London, England. He was the son of Frederick and Elizabeth Parfitt (née Woodhouse) and emigrated to Canada at the age of eighteen.
He was a mill worker in Keewatin, Ontario, before enlisting in Valcartier, Quebec. Three of his brothers also enlisted: William (Royal Canadian Navy); Arthur (Canadian Expeditionary Force); Frederick (British Army). All three survived the War.
Having been a member of the Non-Permanent Active Militia for four years, David Parfitt was promoted to the rank of Sergeant upon enlisting.
The 8th Canadian Infantry Battalion, with Sergeant Parfitt in its ranks, arrived in France in February 1915. In September 1915, he was promoted to the rank of Company Sergeant-Major.
He was Killed-in-Action during the Battle of Thiepval Ridge, one of the Battles of The Somme.
He was Killed-in-Action during the Battle of Thiepval Ridge, one of the Battles of The Somme.
On 26 September 1916, one of the objectives of The 1st Canadian Division (which included The 8th Infantry Battalion, within The 2nd Infantry Brigade) was to take and occupy a series of trenches located between Thiepval and Courcelette, France.
Company Sergeant-Major Parfitt lost his life leading a Platoon from D Company, 8th Infantry Battalion, in the attack that day.
Although his body was later found and buried in Regina Trench British Military Cemetery, there was insufficient evidence of his identity for the grave to be named.
Company Sergeant-Major Parfitt was therefore Commemorated on The Canadian National Vimy Memorial, erected in memory of Canadian Soldiers killed in France during The First World War who have no known grave.
The grave was known to be that of a “Sergeant-Major of The 8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry”. who had died in the area where Company Sergeant-Major Parfitt was last seen.
Following extensive archival research by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the Directorate of History and Heritage, to corroborate the findings of an independent researcher, the identification was confirmed in November 2019 by the Casualty Identification Review Board, which includes representatives from The Canadian Forces Forensic Odontology Response Team and The Canadian Museum of History.
A Headstone re-dedication Ceremony will take place at the earliest opportunity at The Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Regina Trench Cemetery, in France.
The Honourable Anita Anand, Canadian Minister of National Defence, said: “We remember the courage of the Canadians who served our Nation both at home and overseas in The First World War.
“The successful identification of Company Sergeant-Major Parfitt is a reminder for all Canadians of the ultimate sacrifice made by many in Service to our Nation.
“To the family of Company Sergeant-Major Parfitt, know that Canada honours him and is grateful for his service.”
The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Canadian Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence said: “Company Sergeant-Major Parfitt was one of our own – a Canadian Soldier who fought for our Country with honour during The First World War.
“His name is engraved on the base of The Canadian National Vimy Memorial along with those of the more than 11,000 of his comrades who were posted as “missing, presumed dead” in France.
“Now that his grave has been identified, I’m pleased to know he will receive a permanent Headstone to commemorate his courage, Service, and ultimate sacrifice.”
Mel Donnelly, Head of Commemorations Casework at Commonwealth War Graves Commission, said: “It is a privilege for us to work with our partners in Canada to continue the Commission’s efforts to identify the graves of those who fell more than 100 years ago.
“We’re grateful to all those who contributed to this case and honoured to be able to erect a new Commonwealth War Graves Commission Headstone naming Company Sergeant-Major Parfitt.”
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Thank you, Zephyrinus: A very moving portrait of the final tribute to a now identified and obviously courageous young man, a young man with likely a future ahead of him of great accomplishment, like many young men who are numbered in the horrendous death toll of the Battle of the Somme
ReplyDelete(“ British forces suffered more than 57,000 casualties—including more than 19,000 soldiers killed—on the first day of the battle alone..”-“The Battle of the Somme,” History.com). The total casualty toll for the entire campaign has been estimated to be an astonishing one million counting those from both sides, including 300,000 killed: Fulfilling what the alleged prophetic scroll of “The Prophecy of S. Malachi” eerily referred to as a period of “Religio Depopulata,” Catholic and Christian Europe decimated by the effects of devastating modern trench warfare.
(So many were lost, including as well, promising composer George Butterworth, who also died at the age of 31 in 1916 from sniper fire during the Battle of Somme. Butterworth wrote the moving short piece, “The Banks of Green Willow,” a collection of English country folk tunes, his death “leaving behind some of the greatest unrealized promise of all composers lost to war.” [Classical music site cpr.org]).
We must be reminded by thinking of the death of Sgt.-Major Parfitt, and so many other promising young lives as well, that war is not a chess game to be played by powerful, often secular atheist, old men and women in leadership whose egos are easily insulted and who seek retaliation for their wounded pride, but it is a brutal cost for young soldiers’ and sailors’ lives who have to pay the butcher bill for their offended egos. Some wars indeed have to be fought, but the senseless slaughter of WWI in particular really is hard to reconcile with the alleged reasons and origins for that costly war, at least that being the imperfect thoughts of this writer.
And we hope, in fact we know, those leaders have to answer some day to God for their decisions. —Comment by Dante P
A most moving, accurate, and erudite Comment, Dante P, with which Zephyrinus concurs.
DeleteMay all their Souls Rest-In-Pest.
(By the way, the foregoing comments are in no way intended to be critical of UK political leadership in the run-up to WWI: They were dealt a difficult hand due to their historic alliances. -Comment by Dante P)
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