Captain Uvedale Edward Parry-Okeden MC MiD CC
Queensland Mounted Infantry ,
Queensland Defence Force Permanent Artillery,
1st Division Ammunition Park, AIF,
55th Battalion AIF.
by Robert Simpson
Uvedale Edward Parry-Okeden was born on 27th July 1874 in Queensland. It would appear his birth was not recorded with the Queensland Government, as they have no record of it. His service record gave that date. He was a son to William Edward Parry-Okeden and Elizabeth Gertrude Wall. Uvedale may have been named after a relative (his Grandfather’s brother), Uvedale Edward Parry-Okeden, who was a Captain in the 18th Hussars in the mid to late 1800’s. The Parry-Okeden family originated in England, when Uvedale’s Great-Great Grandfather David Parry (1733-1793) married Catherine Jake Okeden (1735-1788) in 1774. David was a Major in the 20th Regiment of Foot and later Governor of Barbados and Catherine was the heir of Edmond Okeden of Dorset. Their son was named David Parry-Okeden and was born in 1774. He married Mary, the daughter of Reverend John Harris in 1796 (as recorded in Burke’s Family Records). Mary died 16 days after the birth of David, who was born 7th February 1810 in Dorset, England. David married Rosalie Caroline Dutton in 1838 in England, before both of them came to Australia. (Another record has them marrying in 1860 in New South Wales?) Their son William Edward Parry-Okeden was born on 13th May 1840 at Marranumbla Station, Snowy River in New South Wales. Not much else is known about Rosalie. She died in 1874 of snakebite and was buried at Charleville, with an age recorded as 60. David died 9th August 1895 and was buried in Brisbane.
William married Elisabeth on 16th October 1873 in St Paul’s Church of England in Maryborough Victoria. Uvedale was their first born of eight children. William had begun studying law, but after three years, left to go to Queensland to be with his parents. He joined the Border Police Force in 1870, starting a 35 years public service career. The Force had been established to halt illicit smuggling over the border with NSW. He was Police Magistrate at Cunnamulla (1872-75), Charleville (1873-81) and Gayndah (1881-86). In 1886, he was appointed to the position of Immigrant Agent, dealing with migrants. In 1889 he was appointed the chief public service post of Colonial Under-Secretary (renamed Principal Under-Secretary). He was involved with the shearer’s strikes of 1891 and 1894, where, due to his ability to relate and communicate with the shearers, peace was restored and he was commended for his handling of the issue. Uvedale went with him to Winton as a Lieutenant, with a company of men during the unrest. In 1895 William was appointed Commissioner of Police. The 1896 Legal Directory lists him as “commissioner of police, Brisbane”. In 1898, he gave instructions that police “were to protect blacks from all forms of injustice”. Failure to detect the murderers at Goodna and at Gatton led in 1899 to a Royal Commission into the Criminal Investigation Branch. William was criticized for certain aspects of the investigation. In the 1905 electoral roll, he was listed as commissioner of police at Summerset Road in Stafford-on-Kedron. The 1913 roll has him living in Somerset St Kedron with his wife and their daughter Evelyn. He was a horseman and also a protector of Aborigines. Their children were born in Queensland as follows:- Uvedale in 1874, Rosalie Gertrude in 1875, William Stewart in 1877, Charles Fitzmaurice on 25th July 1878, Hilda Beatrice in 1880, Evelyn Constance in 1882, Violet Vivian in 1883 and Herbert David in 1889.
He captained the Queensland XI in 1896 for interstate cricket and was a noted amateur steeplechase rider. In June 1897, he was part of the committee and judge of a sports day on Thursday Island. At some stage, Uvedale spent a lively time in Alaska and the American wild-west. In 1906 he played cricket with a Canadian team and in 109 was involved in the Alaska Derby Dog Team Race.
The Queensland Government Gazette of 18th November 1893 had an entry that Acting Lieutenant Uvedale Edward Parry-Okeden was to be a Lieutenant with effect from 13th October. According to the Queensland List of 1901, his First Appointment was on 22nd August 1892 and he was appointed as Lieutenant on 13th October 1893. He was appointed for special service as a Sub-Inspector on 13th September 1894, as recorded in the Police Gazette of that year. In the 1895 Police Gazette “Acting Sub-inspector Uvedale Edward Parry-Okeden was appointed to be a Lieutenant on probation in the Queensland Permanent Defence Force (Land).” He was appointed to be a Lieutenant in the Queensland Permanent Defence Force (Land) from 17th July 1895, as recorded in the Gazette. Acting Sub-Inspector Uvedale Edward Parry-Okeden was discharged from special service on 3rd September 1895, as recorded in the Police Gazette. The Post Office Directory for 1895 has a listing under the Permanent Defence Force, Mounted Infantry, Southern District, Moreton Mounted Infantry, No. 1 Company (Hemmant) for Lieutenant Uvedale E. Parry-Okeden Oct. 13, 1893. In the 1896 Queensland Government Gazette, listed under the Municipality of Gayndah, is a list of land owners that owe the Gayndah council rates and they include six members of the Parry-Okeden family, including Uvedale. The 1898 and 1899 Queensland Directories have Lieutenant Parry-Okeden listed in the Defence Force, Queensland Permanent Artillery, A Battery. The Supplement to the Queensland Government Gazette of 12th May 1899 had the following entries “The resignation of Uvedale Parry-Okeden, as a Lieutenant in the Queensland Permanent Artillery, is accepted as from the 1st instant. Lieutenant Uvedale Parry-Okeden is appointed to be a Lieutenant on the Unattached List (Defence Force Division); this appointment is to take effect from the 1st instant.”
He belonged to “A” District Police Rifle Club, as recorded on 24th July 1900. In the 1901, 1902, 1903 and 1904 Directories, under the heading Commission of the Peace, is listed Uvedale, living at Normanby Station at Boonah. He was managing the station. While there he won two cups for steeple-chasing. The 1903 electoral roll lists him as at Mount Morris Station in Maranoa, where he was working as station manager. Uvedale was listed in the 1905 Queensland Directory under the heading State Departments, Marsupial Districts, for the Warrego district and he was at Mount Morris Station, Charleville. In 1903, his father was awarded the Imperial Service Order in recognition of his varied and successful public career.
William Edward Parry-Okeden ISO
A newspaper article said that he went to the USA in about 1906, and stayed for 2 years, attending major rodeos. He then ended up in Alaska, where he stayed for 18 months.
Uvedale applied for a Commission in the 4th Battalion, 1st Infantry Brigade AIF on 7th September 1914. He was appointed Lieutenant on 11th September 1914. His education qualifications were Maryborough Grammar School, Brisbane Grammar School and Sydney Grammar School. The list of his previous military service reads:- Lieutenant QMI 3 years, Lieutenant RAA 3 years 10 months, Acting sub-Inspector, Police (special service) 1 year. He was presently a station manager and a single British subject born on 25th July 1874. His next of kin was his father, with various Queensland addresses listed. The doctor stated he was 6 foot 3½ inches tall, weighed 13 stone 2 pounds, had a chest measurement of 40 inches and had good eyesight. A J Onslow-Thompson, Commanding Officer of the 4th Battalion, recommended that Uvedale be appointed Temporary Captain in F Company 4th Battalion. While in camp, he had his red colie dog “Red” and also gave whip and boomerang demonstrations.
With the 301st (M.T.) A.S.C. (17th Divisional Ammunition Park) (8th A.S.C.), Uvedale embarked at Melbourne on HMAT A40 Ceramic on 22nd December 1914. “Red” also went with him, smuggled on board. In the nominal roll he was listed as a single 40 year old station manager. His address and next of kin was c/o Hon. W. E. Parry-Okeden I.S.O. of Hawkswood, Queensland. His religion was Church of England and his pay before embarking was 15 shillings a day. He noted in his photo album, with pictures of Ceramic, that “T.S.S. Ceramic (A40) (Queen of the Southern Seas) Carried largest number of Troops ever carried by Transport, & biggest ship ever through the Suez Canal – Dec. 22nd 1914” and “Leaving Australia with 2700 Troops and 229 Crew. Tonnage 18481 – Knots 16.5” He was one of the many people to sign a photo of the Ceramic with “U E Parry-Okeden Lt D.A.P.”
A letter in the Sydney Bulletin of July 1915 read “He is a very tall, large, capable young man; and he had the luck to be at Gallipoli when most of the D.A.P. was bailed up in England.”
While at Alexandria in March 1915, his men loaded quite a few of the transports in the harbour with ammunition. He also had a picture taken with his brother Herbert and wrote on the photo: “Lieut U.E.P.O. O/C Ammunition Section 1st. Aust. Divisional Ammn. Park (M.T.) & officer I/C Ammunition A & N.Z. Army Corps.” and “Driver H.D.P.O. Headquarters Staff 2nd Aust. Light Horse Brigade (Chauffer to the Brigadier)”. Another photo in March 1915 shows him aboard his “yacht”. On 14th May 1915, he embarked on transport Franconia at Alexandria for Gallipoli with a section of his Company. (The rest went to England and then to France. This caused a bit of correspondence if they should be formed as a separate unit.) While there he was in charge of the ammunition and bombs for the Anzacs. He built a bomb factory which manufactured thousands of jam-tin and cricket-ball bombs.
He was granted the temporary rank of Captain “whilst Senior Officer of his Coy. Present with A. & N.Z. Army Corps” with two dates written “7.6.15 & 4.9.15”. An entry on 18th August 1915 reads “To Fleet Sweeper. Teeth”. The record also gives his regimental number as 1742. Another entry also records “Debility mild”. On 5th November 1915, he was Mentioned in Desptaches and awarded the Military Cross, as recorded in the London Gazette. Another record says on 13th July 1915, he was “Mentioned in Dispatches for conspicuous gallantry” and on 8th November 1915 he was “Awarded Military Cross for distinguished services in the Field during operations at the Dardanelles”. He was promoted to Captain and transferred to command Army Corps Ammunition Park on 9th November. Another entry dated the same day stated he was absorbed in the personnel of Army Corps Ammunition Park.
Uvedale was listed in the London Gazette of 5th November 1915 on page 1101, position 40 as Lieutenant (temporary Captain) Australian Artillery for a Mention in Despatches. On the 8th November 1915, he was recorded in the London Gazette on Page 11027, position 6 as being awarded a Military Cross while a Temporary Captain with 1st Australian Ammunition Sub-Park. An article on him being awarded the MC was published in the Brisbane Courier of 9th November 1915. He received two letters; one on 27th November 1915 which read “My dear Parry-Okeden, I write just a line to tell you how very gland indeed I am to see you have been awarded the “Military Cross”, by the King, for which I was so delighted to recommend you. I should also like to thank you so much for all the good work you have done during the time it has been my good fortune to serve with our Army Corps, and I trust that we may continue to serve together throughout the war, until we have made an end of these Germans. With all good wishes to you, Yours sincerely, (Signed) W. R. BIRDWOOD.” The other, on the 4th December 1915, read “Dear Parry-Okeden, I am delighted to hear that you have been awarded with a Military Cross for all the good work you have done for Anzac since you took over your present job. As a Divisional Commander I realised very much how valuable your work was, and I know that everybody in the N.Z. & A. Division will be delighted to see your honour. Yours sincerely, (Signed) ALEX. J. Godley.” He was also thanked by General James Gordon Legge, commander of the 1st Australian Division for his work as instructor in bomb throwing. His wards and a photo were recorded in the Weekly Times of 26th February 1916.
On 20th December 1915, he was sent sick to hospital. From Mudros, he disembarked from the Grampian at Alexandria on 3rd January 1916. He was admitted to the 19th General Hospital with debility on 12th January 1916 and was discharged to duty on the 18th. Then he was admitted to the No. 2 General Hospital at Heliopolis with bronchitis on 25th January, re-joining his unit on 13th February 1916 at Tel-el-Kebir. Apparently, he left the hospital “about 17.2.16 without being discharged” according to another entry.
A letter to his father from Base Records on 24th January 1916 read “Regret reports son Captain Uvedale E. Parry-Okeden admitted 19th General Hospital Alexandria debility mild will promptly advise if anything further received”. The Weekly Times of 26th February 1916 had the following article: “With the object of destroying the ammunition supply, the Turkish guns had maintained their bombardment of the stores which were exposed to the fire. On three separate occasions the enemy succeeded in causing dangerous fires, which were extinguished by Captain Parry-Okeden and six men at the imminent risk of their lives. For this he was mentioned in dispatches, and subsequently received the Military Cross”.
While in Egypt, he Captained the AIF XI in 1916. He included a picture of Sister Mary Jane Derrer MM in his album, noting she was at Gezirah Palace Hospital in Cairo in 1916. She had been awarded the MM for rescuing patients trapped in a burning clearing station in France, with other nurses. It was the first time that bravery awards were given to nurses in a theatre of war. On 25th January 1916, his father let Base Records know of a change of his address to Sandgate, to which they replied on the 27th, saying it had been noted in Uvedale’s records.
A letter from a Brigadier-General at Headquarters in Ismailia to Major-General Sir H V Cox on 22nd February 1916, asked him to investigate if Uvedale was still under his command and how he came to be absent from his unit and his recommendation of any necessary action.
Uvedale was sentenced to a Court martial, with the date being 29th February 1916. He had been under close arrest for 14 days before the trial. The proceedings of the General Court Martial for the trial of Captain “Uredale” Edward Parry-Okeden, 1st Australian Divisional Ammunition Park, were sent to the Judge Advocate General in London on 16th March 1916. The D.J.A.G. Captain wrote “This officer was tried on 29th February by a G.C.M. on charges of drunkenness, and conduct to the prejudice (the latter for using indecent language to the men under his command). He was convicted of drunkenness, and acquitted of the other charge. There was certainly evidence to justify the conviction. (1) Several Legal objections were taken to the proceedings, e.g. that the charge sheet was not signed by the proper officer. (2) The defence raised was that the officer was the victim of a conspiracy on the part of some men under his command, who made up this case against him because he had prosecuted them for offences before a Court-Martial. With reference to (1), the irregularity (if any) could not affect the merits of the case in any way, and as regards (2) the defence was given every consideration by the court and was rejected. Under these circumstances, in my opinion, there are no grounds for disturbing the finding of the court.” The sentence was for him to be severely reprimanded and to have a forfeiture of seniority. The General Court Martial was held at Tel-el-Kebir on 29th February 1916 by the order of Major-General Sir H V Cox KCMG. The President was Brigadier-General N M Smyth VC CB, Commanding the 14th Infantry Brigade, with four officers. Uvedale pleaded not guilty to both charges. The first charge was Drunkenness – “in that he at TEL-EL-KEBIR camp Egypt on the seventeenth February 1916 was drunk in camp.” The second charge was Conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline – “in that he at Tel el Kebir Camp on 17th February 1916 to men under his command used the expression “Go to your tents you bastards or I will fight or fuck any one of you” or words to that effect.” Several service records were produced, showing the character of the men and any offences. Some of their characters were not good. The forms were signed by Uvedale as being correct. The Prosecutor called witnesses who gave testimony of the incident. All prosecution witnesses stated that Uvedale was drunk and that he and Bombardier Thickens were arguing. There was discussion of who was using the bad language to whom. Defence witnesses stated he was not drunk. Uvedale gave his testimony and stated that “discipline in the camp was disgraceful” and he stated he was not drunk. He stated that Bombardier Thickens called him a bastard and that one of his Sergeants told him he was a bit excited and should go to his tent while he got the Warrant Officer to stop the row. It was stated he had some drinks with another regiment, when he was giving whip and boomerang demonstrations. He noted he had given field punishment to some of the prosecution witnesses. Bombardier Thickens was also called to give evidence and she stated “I noticed nothing wrong with the accused”. He also stated he “had nothing alcoholic that day excepting 3 glasses of beer taken from one bottle”. The Judge Advocate summed up and noted that the prosecution witnesses could not explain why they thought he was drunk and that their description of the words used was different to the charge sheet, but similar to each other, so there may have been previous consultation on what to say. He also noted the creditability of the witnesses, with several having “bad records and receiving punishment from the Accused”. He discussed if the words could have been spoken by someone else for the second charge. It was pointed out that “it is always difficult to prove conclusively without medical evidence that a person is drunk”. He said that the court should arrive at the findings with the facts proved by evidence and nothing else.
His history of Military Service was also recorded as –
“Lieutenant – Queensland Mounted Infantry August 1892 to July 1895 (1 year special service as Sub-Inspector Police, under Captain (now Brigadier-General) H G Chauvel CB CMG Lieutenant – Royal Australian Artillery from 1895 to 1899 (2 years Thursday Island) Resigned at own request- on Reserve of Officers until joined as Lieutenant – AIF – Divisional Ammunition Park from 11th November 1914 Captain 7th June 1915 Military Cross 9th November 1915