Saturday 25 April 2015

Parlby, Thomas - Private

(No soldier photo available)
2nd. Bn. Manchester Regiment
Died 4 October 1945
Age 34

In April 1945 the Battalion was flown out of Burma (now Myanmar) to Calcutta, India, where it was to train in readiness for a sea-borne operation against Rangoon (now Yangon) These plans, however, were not put into practice because the Japanese forces surrendered when the war came to an end in August. The Battalion then moved to Poona where the process of releasing men into civil life was begun. It was whilst they were at Poona that Private Thomas Parlby died in Kalgon Military Hospital, near Bombay, from injuries sustained in a train crash.

Thomas was the son of Frederick and Elizabeth Parlby of Salford and the husband of Frances. He was aged 34. There was one child. During the war Mrs. Parlby lived in Helmshore as an evacuee from Salford. Because of this connection with the village Thomas is commemmorated on both Helmshore War Memorial and St.Thomas' Church War Memorial.

Thomas was, at first, buried in a cemetery near the hospital, but when Kirkee War Cemetery was created on the outskirts of Poona his remains were transferred. The Cemetery contains 1,688 Commonwealth graves transferred from the western and central parts of India where their maintenance could not be assured. Thomas was laid to rest in Plot 5, Row F, Grave 5.