Walter Edwin Parker

Army Veterinary Corps – British Expeditionary Force
Veterans Guard of Canada

Service Summary

Walter Edwin Parker was born November 30, 1887, in Shelsley Kings, Worcestershire, England, the eldest of six children. He first came to Canada in May 1911 to work on a farm.

When war broke out in 1914, Walter returned to enlist in the British Expeditionary Force.

Wartime Experience

During the First World War, Walter served in the Army Veterinary Corps and was posted to:

• Gallipoli

• Egypt

• Palestine

During service, he contracted malaria.

Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Walter again volunteered for service in 1940, joining the Veterans Guard of Canada.

He guarded German prisoners of war at camps across Canada, including:

• Lethbridge, Alberta

• Neys, Ontario

• Seebe, Alberta

Post-Service Life

Walter married Eleanor Millward in England in 1920, and they immigrated to Canada in 1921 under the Overseas Settlement Program.

They homesteaded east of Onanole, Manitoba.

After Eleanor’s passing in 1928, Walter’s infant son Harold was cared for by family friends in Basswood.

Walter was a founding member of the Erickson Legion and served as a School Trustee for Whirlpool School.

After the war, he worked as groundskeeper and gardener at Riding Mountain National Park.

Walter passed away in Erickson on September 5, 1963, and is buried at Basswood Cemetery beside his wife Eleanor.

Medals & Honours

(Not listed in source – can be added if confirmed)