Finding Aid
Series 1: Letters from Gordon Parkinson, 1916-1918.
Most of the letters are addressed to Gordons older brother, Bob (Robert Arthur), with several addressed to his father, (Robert John Johnny), or to family. A few are addressed to Gordons mother, (Katherine Ellen (Hull)) and to younger brothers Dick (Cecil) and Bill (Charles Wesley). Note: in most cases, envelopes are included with the letters. Arranged chronologically.
Box 1
F.1 Early letters. Mervin Heights, London. 142nd Battalion Londons Own. March 27- July 4, 1916.
Letter 1. To family. From London. March 27, 1916.
Letter 2. To father and family. From Sportsmens Patristic Association Soldiers Club (229 Dundas St. Majestic Theatre). May 20, 1916.
Letter 3. To father and family. From Mervin Heights, London. June 7, 1916.
Letter 4. To family. From Mervin Heights, London. C. Co 142 Battalion. Granton date stamp July 4, 1916.
F.2 Camp Borden. C. Co 142nd Battalion. July 16 October 29, 1916.
Letter 5. To parents and family. July 16, 1916.
Letter 6. To father. July 25, 1916.
Letter 7. To father. August 13, 1916.
Letter 8. To father. August 22, 1916.
Letter 9. To father. Y. M. C. A. Letterhead. September 17, 1916.
Letter 10. To father. Y. M. C. A. Letterhead. September 27, 1916.
Letter 11. To father. Y. M. C. A. Letterhead. October 10, 1916.
Letter 12. To Bob. October 14, 1916.
Letter 13. To father and family. October 20, 1916. [letter torn on bottom and near top]
Letter 14. To father and family. October 26, 1916. [missing envelope] [letter torn, with holes]
Letter 15. Postcard to father from Montreal. October 29, 1916.
F.3 Dibgate Camp (Shorncliffe, England). November 12 December 20, 1916
Letter 16. To father and family. Arrival in England. November 12, 1916.
Letter 17. To father and family. C. Co. 23rd Battalion. November 15, 1916.
Letter 18. To Bob Old Top. November 19, 1916.
Letter 19. To father and family. November 30, 1916.
Letter 20. To Bob and family. December 11, 1916. [letter torn along crease]
Letter 21. To father, and note to Isaac Middleton (Ike) fishing friend. December 15, 1916.
Letter 22. To Bob. December 20, 1916.
F.4 England (Witley Camp, West Sandling Camp). December 26, 1916 March 26, 1917
Letter 23. To father. December 26, 1916.
Letter 24. To father and everybody. January 3, 1917.
Letter 25. To father. Moved to Witley Camp, Surrey England. D. Co. 161 Battalion. January 5, 1917.
Letter 26. To mother, to father, and notes to Dick and Bill. West Sandling Camp, Shorncliffe. January 15, 1917.
Letter 27. To father. West Sandling Camp, Shorncliffe. 4th Reserve Battalion. January 28, 1917.
Letter 28. To Bob. Witley Camp, Surrey. D. Company, 161 Battalion. February 13, 1917.
Letter 29. To father. Witley Camp. February 17, 1917.
Letter 30. To father. Witley Camp. February 26, 1917.
Letter 31. To Bob. Witley Camp. March 4, 1917. [letter torn along crease]
Letter 32. To father. Witley Camp. March 10, 1917.
Letter 33. To Bob. Witley Camp, D. Coy, 161 Battalion. March 19, 1917. [quarantined with mumps]
Letter 34. To father. Witley Camp. March 26, 1917.
F.5 Witley Camp, Surrey, England. March 27- July 16, 1917.
Letter 35. To Bob. Letter opened by censor. Gordon comments on his father blowing up the town with fire crackers. March 27, 1917.
Letter 36. To Bob. April 1, 1917.
Letter 37. To father. 823753 D. Corp., 161 Battalion, Witley Camp, Surrey. April 8, 1917.
Letter 38. To Bob. April 12, 1917.
Letter 39. To father. C. C. 823453, 161 Battalion, Witley Camp. April 29, 1917.
Letter 40. To father and family. May 1, 1917.
Letter 41. To father. May 14, 1917.
Letter 42. To Bob. Opened by censor. May 18, 1917.
Letter 43. To father and family. May 22, 1917.
Letter 44. To Bob. Opened by censor. Last page missing, Gordon comments on machine gun capabilities. June 2, 1917.
Letter 45. To father. June 11, 1917. [missing envelope]
Letter 46. To Bob. June 15, 1917. Opened by censor.
Letter 47. To Bob. June 25, 1917.
Letter 48. To Bob. July 4, 1917. Visit to Nelsons Victory, Fortsmouth.
Letter 49. To Bob. July 12, 1917.
Letter 50. To Bob. 823753 Scout Section, 161 Battalion, Witley Camp, Surrey. July 16, 1917.
F.6 Witley Camp, Surrey, England. July 20- September 30, 1917.
Letter 51. To father and family. July 20, 1917.
Letter 52. To father and family. July 26, 1917.
Letter 53. To Bob. July 31, 1917. [paper discoloured dark brown top and bottom]
Letter 54. To Dick. To Bob. August 3, 1917.
Letter 55. To Bob. 823753 Scout Section, 161 Battalion. August 16, 1917.
Letter 56. To Bob. 823753 Scout Section, 161Cdn. Inf. Batt. August 20, 1917.
Letter 57. To Bob. 823753 Scout Section, 161Cdn. Inf. Batt. Witley. August 25, 1917.
Letter 58. To Bob. Witley Camp. August 27, 1917.
Letter 59. To Bob. August 29, 1917. [paper discoloured brown on top and bottom right corners]
Letter 60. To Bob. September 8, 1917.
Letter 61. To father. September 13, 1917.
Letter 62. To Bob. September 18, 1917.
Letter 63. To father. September 21, 1917.
Letter 64. To father. September 30, 1917.
F.7 Witley Camp, Surrey, England. October 7, 1917- March 26, 1918.
Letter 65. To Bob. October 7, 1917.
Letter 66. To Bob. October 12, 1917. [paper discoloured brown upper right side]
Letter 67. To Bob. October 16, 1917.
Letter 68. To Bob. October 24, 1917.
Letter 69. To Bob. October 29, 1917. Bob is turned down at the medical board.
Letter 70. To Bob. November 12, 1917.
Letter 71. To father and family. Program of the Reunion of former members of 142nd Londons Own Battalion (November 14, 1917). November 16, 1917.
Letter 72. To father and family. November 25, 1917. [missing envelope]
Letter 73. Postcard to Dick. Christmas 1917.
Letter 74. Postcard to Bill. Christmas 1917.
Letter 75. Postcard to mother. Christmas 1917.
Letter 76. To father and family. December 2, 1917.
Letter 77. To Bob. December 4, 1917.
Letter 78. To father. December 16, 1917.
Letter 79. To Bob. December 24, 1917.
Letter 80. To Bob. January 1, 1918.
Letter 81. To Bob. January 9, 1918.
Letter 82. To father and family. January 16, 1918.
Letter 83. To Bob and family. Visited Edinburgh. February 5, 1918.
Letter 84. To Bob. February 13, 1918.
Letter 85. To Bob. February 21, 1918.
Letter 86. To father and family. Moved to C. Co. 4th Reserve Bramshott, Surrey. Granton stamp March 26, 1918.
Letter 87. To Bob and family. Visited London. Leaving for France the next day. March 26, 1918.
F.8 France. Active duty. March 29- September 17, 1918.
Letter 88. To father and family. 1st Batt. B. E. F. France. March 29, 1918.
Letter 89. To Bob and family. April 11, 1918.
Letter 90. To Bob. April 16, 1918.
Letter 91. To Bob. April 28, 1918.
Letter 92. To Bob. 1st Battalion, 1st Div. Wing C.C.R.C. May 11, 1918.
Letter 93. To Bob and family. May 18, 1918.
Letter 94. To father and family. June 3, 1918.
Letter 95. To Bob. June 14, 1918.
Letter 96. To Bob. June 22, 1918.
Letter 97. To father and family. June 28, 1918.
Letter 98. To Bob. July 10, 1918.
Letter 99. To Bob. July 24, 1918.
Letter 100. To father and family. July 31, 1918.
Letter 101. Field card. August 17, 1918.
Letter 102. To Bob and family. August 22, 1918.
Letter 103. To father. August 28, 1918.
Letter 104. To Bob. Shoulder lapel off a Fritz N. C. O.s tunic included in letter (removed and placed in Box 2. Envelope 1). Additional information to be found in scrapbook. September 9, 1918.
Letter 105. To Bob. Souvenir included in letter. Enamel on copper, interpretation of the Maltese Cross (removed and placed in Box 2. Envelope 2). Additional information to be found in scrapbook. September 12, 1918.
Letter 106. To Bob and family. September 17, 1918.
Series 2: Letters to Gordon and the Parkinson Family. 1917-1919.
Letters 111, 113, 114 and 115 are addressed to Gordon from various family members. They were returned to the family after Gordons death, most of them having never reached him. Arranged chronologically.
Box 1 (contd)
F.9 Letter 107. To Bob from Jack Baynes. Opened by censor. Somewhere in France. July 30, 1917.
Letter 108. To Bob from Jim Jameson. 528927 Registrar Staff, 9 Canadian General Hospital, Shorncliffe, Kent. May 7, 1918.
Letter 109. To Bob from Jim Jameson. 528927 Registrar Staff, 9 Canadian General Hospital, Shorncliffe, Kent. July 16, 1918. [envelope missing]
Letter 110. To John Parkinson from Pte F. K. Hudson. 3131009 D. Coy, 4th C. R. Battalion, Witley Camp. Thank you letter. August 15, 1918.
Letter 111. To Gordon from Bob. Returned KIA [Catherine Parkinson Cooks father, Cecil Dick, said these were with Gord]. September 3, 1918. [pages discoloured and torn]
Letter 112. Card to Kate, Johnny, Bob, Dick, and Bill from Uncle Bill (Gords father's brother who lived in Detroit, Michigan). September 19, 1918.
Letter 113. To Gordon from Bob. Written September 26, 1918, and was reported as soldier missing and sent to Dead Letter Office, stamped March 4, 1920.
Letter 114. To Gordon from father and family. Written September 30, 1918, sent to Dead Letter Office, stamped October 21, 1919.
Letter 115. To Gordon from little brother Bill (Wesley). Written October 2, 1918, sent to Dead Letter Office, stamped March 12, 1919.
Letter 116. To Bob from Jim Jameson. 528927 L. M. Staff, 9 Canadian General Hospital, Shorncliffe. October 8, 1918.
Letter 117. To Bob from Jim Jameson. Shorncliffe. March 9, 1919.
F.10 Photocopies of Gordon William Parkinsons personnel records. [Removed from scrapbook]
Series 3: Medals and Souvenirs
Box 2
Case 1.
Item 1. Identification Disk. Parkinson G. W. 1. Batt. Inf. Canadians P. 823753.
Item 2. Medal presented to Gordon Parkinsons parents by the Township of Briddulph. 142nd Battalion. The medal is in the form of a Maltese Cross design with arrows pointing inward on each of the four arms of the cross.
Item 3. Canadian Memorial Cross (sterling silver) with case. Greek Cross design engraved 823753 Pte. G. W. Parkinson. Originally hung on a 11mm violet ribbon. Two cards from the Minister of Militia and Defence included.
Case 2.
21 items total. Various military buttons and badges including Canadian Pacific Ocean Services button, machine gun badges, and Nelson Cooper souvenir.
Envelope 1. Shoulder lapel off a Fritz N. C. O.s tunic. From Letter 104 to Bob, September 9, 1918. Additional information to be found in scrapbook.
Envelope 2. Souvenir, Enamel on copper, interpretation of the Maltese Cross. From Letter 105 to Bob, September 12, 1918. Additional information to be found in scrapbook.
Series 4: Scrapbook
Box 3
The scrapbook was compiled by Catherine Parkinson Cook (Niece of Gordon Parkinson). It contains biographical information on Gordon and the family, photos, military records, photocopies and highlights from his letters, photos of medals and other items with notes by Catherine, a book sent to his family (Atlas of the War removed for cataloguing), photocopies of personnel records (removed and filed in Box1, F.10), and information about Gordons brothers (Bob, Dick, Bill) after 1918.
Table of Contents
1. Granton and the soldier monument, public school, Parkinson home.
2. Signing up for the military at London, Ontario. Attestation, medical history papers. 142nd Battalion photo and badge (Londons Own Battalion). Photo of identification disc. Photo of Gordon on leave at home.
3. Camp Borden Opening July 1916. Summary of letters from Gordon July November 1916. Photos of his group at Borden.
4. Overseas Britain and France 1916-1918. Camps and Battalion changes in Britain. First Division Red Patch.
5. Letter Collection Index. Some copies of Gordons letters. Brief summaries of letters 1-117. Souvenirs- photos. Story of the Nelson Copper Souvenir.
6. Battles of last 100 days, and of the October 1, 1918 battle in which Gord was killed in action near Sancourt, France. Photos of Sanken Rd. Excerpts from war diary from the October 1st Battle.
7. Killed in action. Documents, awards, photos and facsimiles.
8. Sancourt British Cemetery France. Fabian war letter- Sancourt Cemetery photos. War Graves of the British Empire book, France 597-603 (Details of men buried).
9. Book Atlas of the War sent by Gord to his family. [Removed for cataloguing]
10. Addendum. Gords brothers Bob, Dick, and Bill. Their lives after 1918.
Gordon William Parkinson fonds. 2nd Accrual. 1917-1977. 2 cm of textual records and three medals.
Series 1
Correspondence.
Box 1
F.11 To Mr. Lindsay. West Sandling Camp, Shorncliffe. 4th Reserve Battalion. Five pages. January 28, 1917.
F.12 To Mark. Witley Camp. 1 March 1917. Has been serving with the Police.
F.13 To Mr. Reid. 5 April 1917.
F.14 To Mr. Lindsay. 6 November 1917.
F.15 To Mark. Witley Camp. Three pages. 17 January 1918.
F.16 Letter from Grace Lindsay (daughter of the above Mr. Lindsay) to Cecil Parkinson inclosing the above letters. 18 July 1978.
Series 2
Medals and commemorative items. 3 items. Title based on contents of series.
Box 2
3. British War Medal, 36 mm, circular, silver medal.
4. Memorial Plaque, 120 mm, circular, bronze plaque, which was sent to the next of kin of deceased soldiers.
5. Victory Medal, 36 mm, circular, bronze medal.
