John Parker was born in Collingwood, VIC and was an Engine Driver when he enlisted in the 29th Battalion, C Company on 17 July 1915 at the age of 36. His unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A11 Ascanius on 10 November 1915. He was promoted to Corporal on 9 October 1916 and it seemed his term of service was uneventful until he received a minor wound in action on 15 December 1917 and was subsequently discharged back to his unit the next day. While on leave he was transferred to the 32nd Battalion where he remained until his return to Australia on 21 March 1919.

His actions at Morlancourt on the 29th of July 1918 saw that he was to receive the Military Medal for ædisplaying conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty. This Corporal is Sanitary N.C.O. and attends to burials of all members of this Battalion killed in action. On the night of the above mentioned he volunteered and went forward into NO MAN'S LAND under very heavy enemy Machine Gun and artillery fire and searched all night for our dead and wounded and was the means of bringing in a number of wounded men from the shell swept zone. He worked continuously throughout the night and all day of 29th July and again on 30th July in the performance of this duty.'
Tree No. 3391