113473 Pte Harold Parnell was born in Fingringhoe, near Colchester, Essex, England on 23rd March 1887, the ninth of ten children born to Joseph and Fanny Parnell.

Harold was a bit of a wanderer and was known to have traveled the world. Records show that he sailed into Vancouver in August 1912 on the S.S. Makura. At the outbreak of World War 1 he was living in Ontario, and attesting into the Canadian Mounted Rifles (CMR) in Barriefield, Ontario on 24th July 1915, he was assigned to the 8th CMR.

Following divisional restructuring in January 1916, the 8th CMR was absorbed by the 4th CMR, who Harold saw action with up until his loss in the action against Courcelette, France, on 1st October 1916. His body was never recovered, and as such his name is commemorated on the Vimy Ridge memorial.

Of his loss, formal records state:

"Previously reported Missing, now Killed in Action. He was a member of the Battalion bombers and took part in an attack on Regina Trench, Courcelette, at about 3 P.M. on October 1st 1916. While bombing out a communication trench leading into Regina Trench, he was severely wounded and died shortly afterwards. Owing to a shortage of bombs, the bombers had to retire and it was impossible to recover the body."

It is noted that his younger brother Percy, and wife, who he held a particularly close bond with named their home "Regina" thereafter.

The family was notified of his death by the Canadian government and they were offered a yearly pension or a lump sum. It is not known what amount of money was involved but they took the lump sum, later realizing that they would have been wiser to take the pension which was payable during the life of his mother, Fanny, who lived to be 96.

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Credit and thanks go to Belinda and John Mepham for the biography.

Additional service details are courtesy of 4cmr.com