Alec was educated at Technical School, and became a member of the Staff of the Sun Life Insurance Company. He joined the R.A.M.C. in September 1915 and served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from August until December 1916, when he was invalided home, suffering from trench fever. He was on board the Hired Transport "Transylvania", when it was proceeding to Egypt with reinforcements, and was sunk by a torpedo by the German U-boat U-63 off Cape Vado, a few kilometres south of Savona. He was the some of the late Frank Henry Parker of Birmingham and Alice Cockshott; and the husband of Margaret Elizabeth (m. 18th August 1913) of 36 Alcester Road South, King's Heath, Birmingham.