Ginger Parnell qualified as a pilot in October 1939 and was posted to 823 Squadron (TBR) in Glorious on 21 May 1940. He was in action off the coast of Norway until 6 June 1940 when the Squadron disembarked to Hatston whilst the Glorious was evacuating RAF Squadrons from Norway. Although the official histories say that when the Glorious was sunk on 8 June 1940 no aircraft were in the air, two independent sources suggest that in fact two Swordfish were airborne at the time. The Observer in one of these, Lieutenant Commander A P Keep RN, states that when Glorious was sunk his aircraft flew back to Hatston. It now seems likely that the other aircraft was being piloted by Parnell and they finally came down in the sea and were rescued with difficulty and in fairly bad shape.
Parnell reverted to Corps Duty on 23 July 1940 and after a commission in HMS London and short periods in 104 Bde and at Lympstone he was retired on account of medical unfitness on 5 August 1944 before the end of hostilities.
