Frederick Daniel Parslow
Encyclopedia
Frederick Daniel Parslow VC
(14 January 1856 – 4 July 1915) was an English
recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
and Commonwealth
forces. Parslow was a Master in the Mercantile Marine, and the first from that Service to be awarded a Victoria Cross.
of the ss Brussels as a franc-tireur on 27 July 1916. The Royal Navy gave Parslow a posthumous commission as Lieutenant
in the Royal Naval Reserve
, and then awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.
On 4 July 1915 in the Atlantic, south-west of Queenstown, Ireland, HM Horse Transport Anglo-Californian, commanded by Captain Parslow, was attacked by a submarine
which made occasional hits although the Captain kept altering course. At last, on the point of abandoning ship in order to save lives, a message was received to hold on as long as possible and Anglo-Californian got under way again, whereupon the U-boat
opened a very heavy fire, doing great damage. Captain Parslow remained on the bridge throughout the attack, entirely without protection and was killed when the bridge was wrecked. His son, also Frederick Parslow, was the Mate, and took command on the demise of his father. The son was given a commission as Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy Reserve, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(14 January 1856 – 4 July 1915) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces. Parslow was a Master in the Mercantile Marine, and the first from that Service to be awarded a Victoria Cross.
Details
He was 59 years old, and a Mercantile Marine Master during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was eventually awarded the VC in 1919. The award was delayed until after World War I because of his civilian status, and no doubt influenced by the execution by the Germans of Mercantile Marine Captain Charles FryattCharles Fryatt
Charles Algernon Fryatt was a British mariner who attempted to ram a German U-boat in 1915. His ship, the was captured by the Germans in 1916. When it became clear who he was, Fryatt was court-martialled and executed, although he was a civilian. There was international outrage following his...
of the ss Brussels as a franc-tireur on 27 July 1916. The Royal Navy gave Parslow a posthumous commission as Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the Royal Naval Reserve
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. The present Royal Naval Reserve was formed in 1958 by merging the original Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve , a reserve of civilian volunteers founded in 1903...
, and then awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.
On 4 July 1915 in the Atlantic, south-west of Queenstown, Ireland, HM Horse Transport Anglo-Californian, commanded by Captain Parslow, was attacked by a submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
which made occasional hits although the Captain kept altering course. At last, on the point of abandoning ship in order to save lives, a message was received to hold on as long as possible and Anglo-Californian got under way again, whereupon the U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
opened a very heavy fire, doing great damage. Captain Parslow remained on the bridge throughout the attack, entirely without protection and was killed when the bridge was wrecked. His son, also Frederick Parslow, was the Mate, and took command on the demise of his father. The son was given a commission as Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy Reserve, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.