Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Second World War and post-war campaign and long service group of six awarded to Warrant Officer K. K. Parkes, Special Air Service (S.A.S.), late Royal Engineers and Malayan Scouts, who was taken P.O.W. on D-Day while attached to 6th Airborne Division

1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star, the reverse privately engraved, ‘1876661 Tpr. K. K. Parkes, R.E., 3rd Para. Sqn. R.E., 6th A.B. Div., 04-06-1944’; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, Palestine 1945-48, Malaya (1876661 Sjt. K. K. Parkes. R.E.), this with official corrections to number, rank and initials; Efficiency Medal, E.II.R., T. &  A. V. R. (23920309 W.O. Cl. 2 K. K. Parkes, S.A.S.), generally good very fine (6) £800-1000

Keith Kitley Parkes was born at Temple Bassall, Warwickshire in February 1924 and enlisted in the Royal Engineers as a boy recruit in March 1939.

In August 1943, he qualified as a parachutist and joined No. 3 Parachute Squadron, R.E., in which unit, as part of 6th Airborne Division, he was deployed on D-Day 6 June 1944. He was posted missing on the same date and was confirmed as a P.O.W. a few weeks later. On his liberation and repatriation from Stalag IVB in late April 1945, he was admitted to Botley’s Park War Hospital.

Remaining in the Army after the War, Parkes was advanced to Sergeant and witnessed active service in 9 A/B Squadron R.E. in Palestine from September 1946 until being invalided home in April 1948 (Medal & clasp); so, too, in Malaya in the period July 1951 to November 1953 (clasp), latterly as a member of the Malayan Scouts (afterwards 22 Special Air Service Regiment).

Having then transferred to the Royal Army Reserve in February 1954, Parkes re-enlisted in the 23 S.A.S. Regiment (Territorials) in Birmingham in May 1962, in which unit he gained appointment as Regimental Quarter-Master Sergeant in January 1965. His subsequent postings included Belgium, Germany and Kenya and he was finally discharged in May 1974. He died at Warwick Hospital in February 2004; sold with two original wartime photographs and extensive copied service records.