Captain Dan Parker was born in Itchen and lived in Chessel Crescent. He is known for his part in the rescue of the captain of the American freighter Flying Enterprise in January 1952. The ship had developed damage in a storm in the Channel. The ten passengers and forty crew were taken off the ship, with the loss of one passenger, but the captain, Kurt Carlsen, remained on board, hoping that the ship could be saved. Captain Parker's tug, the RT Turmoil, tried to take the ship in tow, but this was not possible. The first mate of the Turmoil, Kenneth Dancy, joined Captain Carlsen on the Flying Enterprise but eventually both men had to abandon ship, and the ship sank less than an hour later.
The rescue attempt, which involved a number of tugs, merchant vessels and American naval vessels and lasted from 28th December 1951 to 10th January 1952, was widely reported. Eight others of the crew of the Turmoil were from Southampton. Captain Parker was awarded the MBE. He died in 1955, aged 63, after falling from a ladder on the Turmoil.
Newspaper clippings:
So'ton to honour Capt. Parker - (Southern Daily Echo, 25/01/1952)
Capt. Dan's fall in Turmoil - (Southern Daily Echo, 09/08/1955)
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