George Parson
GORDON STUART PARSON
Gordon Stuart Parson died on 26 November 1994. Known to his AA colleagues as 'George', his name will always be associated with the Home and Overseas Routes services, under the guise of Home Touring, Home Routes, Foreign Routes, Overseas Routes and Routes Production - same meat different gravy.
'George' joined the AA on 16 March 1936 as a route compiler in the Home Touring service and retired as Head of Overseas Routes on 31 January 1984. He prided himself that during his 48 years service with the AA (interrupted by military service) that he had an exemplary health record. No-one can remember his having a day off due to ill-health; sadly during his last four years of retirement he did not enjoy such good health.
Although he served continuously in the Home and Overseas routes services at Head Office the period embraced a variety of locations ranging from Mill House, Shaftesbury Avenue; Fanum House New Coventry Street; Regis House, City of London; Marlborough Building, Holloway; Fanum House, Leicester Square; Reading Office; Daneshill, Basingstoke and finally the original Norfolk House. The longest period at any one location was just under ten years at the City Office.
He was just as peripatetic in his military service. Called to the armed services as one of the first intakes of 'militia men' in June 1939 - ostensibly for six weeks training - it turned out to be six years with the 1st Surrey Regiment of the Royal Artillery. The Regiment was sent to France in September 1939 and evacuated from Dunkirk in May 1940 on the fall of France; it subsequently served with the coast defences between Yorkshire and Scotland.
Ordered overseas the Regiment sailed around the Cape to join the forces in Egypt from where it was recalled to travel by road across the desert to Persia (Iran). After returning to the Middle East the unit embarked at the Red Sea expecting to go to the Mediterranean only to find the ship heading for Bombay, followed by a rail journey across India to Burma and somehow to arrive at Rangoon whence 'George' was repatriated to the UK to finish his time at Woolwich. He even managed to join that elite group of servicemen who can claim to have two service numbers; going in as Gunner 1000017 and coming out as Sergeant 935422.
Fred Harris, formerly Supervisor Home Routes Admin. writes:
I met 'George' Parson on his first day with the AA in 1936 when we went out to lunch together; 45 years later he came to lunch with me on my retirement day in 1981. There were many other lunches in between the final one being on his retirement day in January 1984. Not content with lunching together there were times when we travelled by train together to or from work. There were periods when we were apart - sometimes he was my boss; sometimes not, depending on the flavour of the latest re-organisation.
In the 1950's we both participated in consultation with the Ministry of Transport during the development of the London signposting scheme when 'George' was successful in persuading the MOT to change certain road numbers on some important roads around London. This signposting scheme was the forerunner of the national primary route signposting scheme established in 1966 and evidenced today by the familiar green signposts on national routes - and road numbers are still changing!
During his service from 1965 as Head of Overseas Routes he made several trips to Europe in connection with European motoring clubs and other services and also made a journey to Russia prior to the Moscow Olympic Games. With one son in Zambia he also had the opportunity to visit parts of Africa on holiday with his wife Kathryn. Ill-health prevented him from going on the latest planned trip to that continent.
All in all a well-travelled man eminently suited to the job he did. For 58 years he was always a good friend to me and I shall miss him very much.
I am sure all his AA colleagues will wish to join me in sending condolences to his widow Kathryn, and children Hugh, Clive and Adrienne.
GSP - RIP