Katherine Parkhill Carr,
Killed in Action 1941


 




Whilst I was researching the names of our soldiers who died during WW2, I came across "K.P.Carr" engraved on our War Memorial.
Local enquiries revealed no knowledge of this person, but searching on-line the name was listed by the War Graves Commission.
This revealed that "K. P" stood for Katherine Parkhill.

However, after 70 years it appears that no-one locally,
had associated this engraving with that of a young lady who died on active service,
The local branch of the British Legion were not aware of its
significance.
Even more astonishing, her grave is located in our local cemetery

This is the story about her family and how Katherine found herself named on our War Memorial.

History of the Auxiliary Territorial Service ( ATS)

Prior to the Second World War, the Government decided to
establish a new Corps for women, and an Advisory Council, which included members of the Territorial Army (TA), the Women's Transport Service and the Women's Legion, was set up. The
Council decided that the ATS would be attached to the Territorial Army and the women serving would receive two thirds the pay of male soldiers.

All women in the Army joined the ATS, except for nurses who joined Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMS).
Medical and dental officers, who were commissioned directly into the Army and held Army ranks.

The ATS in action:-

The role of the women of the Auxiliary Territorial Service, which numbered some 20,000 recruits during the Second World War, was to replace men from the Army.
They acted as office, mess and telephone orderlies, drivers of lorries and other vehicles, butchers, bakers, postal workers, ammunition inspectors, military police and gun crews and additionally
performed many other operational support tasks.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, 300 ATS members were billeted to France. As the German army advanced through France, the British Expeditionary Force was driven back towards the English Channel.
This led to the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk in May 1940, and some ATS telephonists were among the last British personnel to leave the country.

Genealogy of the Carr family

Katherine's father was "Stephen Carr" was born on September 20, 1889, in Liverpool, Lancashire,
Parents :-Agnes Jane Aitken, age 26, and Thomas Stephen Carr.

Katherine's mother was Marion Parkhill, born 3rd October 1891 in Garlieston, Wigtownshire
Parents:- William Parkhill and Marion McLean

Stephen and Marion married on 6th June 1913, in the settlement of Philgown, Barrachan, Wigtownshire.
Stephen died in 1976, Buried in Assington
Marion died 5th August 1962, buried in Assington

They must have immediately settled in Mochrum which is only a short distance from Philgown, as the birth of their first child Marion some three weeks later, is registered at Mochrum.
It seems highly likely that Stephen gained employment in the village, possibly at the large Mochrum Estate, famous for its Belted Galloway cattle

Children:-
(1)Marion McLean, b23rd July 1913 in Mochrum, Scotland.
Married George Albert Gentry from Assington in Oct 1953 Ipswich,
Died 1st April 1978, Sudbury,

(2)Elizabeth Hammond:- b15th April 1915 Ingersoll Canada,
Married Paul Vernon Garrow in Bures 29th April 1944,
Died aged 98 Birmingham 19th December 1993.
Three children

(3)Isabella Aitken, b 27th November 1916 Mochrum Wigtownshire,
Married Robert D Caskey in Shardlow, Derbyshire Sept 1940

Later married to Clifford Duckworth (1916 - 1996)
Died in Blackburn 2nd February 1995.

(4)Katherine Parkhill, b 06 January 1920 Mochrum Wigtownshire,
Died 28th October 1941 ( Parkhill taken from her Mother)
Buried Bures 1st November 1941

(5)William, b 27th January 1922 Mochrum Wigtownshire.
Married 1944 in Sudbury to Irene Mary Smith
Death March 1991, Buried Copdock.

(6)Thomas James, b 2nd May 1924 Mochrum Wigtownshire,
Married Veronica Walker in Wormingford on 29th Dec 1951
Died 6th April 2000 Buried Copdock

(7)Agnes Aitken, b 6th December 1926 Mochrum Wigtownshire
Married Robert Mclaughlan Walker in February 1952. Died 27th Nov 2007
Agnes Died 9th January 2021 in Sudbury aged 84
The Galloway Gazette March 8th 1952

(8)Mona Taylor, b March 1930 in Lt Bentley Essex
Died December 1930, Lt Bentley, Essex

(9)Cameron S, b1933, Lt Bentley, Essex
Married Charlotte Best in Sudbury 1954

Living.


Research by Alan Beales

1st Ed:- 24/07/2014
Updated 30/10/2014
Major update 11/11/2014
Updated with wreath 12/11/2015
Updated 18/12/2015
Updated/rewritten 05/10/2017

updated genealogy 20/2.2019


Stephen James Carr son of Thomas Carr at Ipswich
John and Diane Ineson on the OverHall Farm information

Cameron Carr son of Stephen and Marion
Ipswich RO
Stoke (Staffs) RO