William Henry Hook
In 1939 at the age of 14 he was a grocer's errand boy.
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
Son of Frederick Henry and Mary Ellen Hook. Frederick lived at 1 Elm Grove Warsop but Mary Ellen was a patient at Bingham mental asylum.
Siblings: Hilda (1920), Queenie (1922), Fred (1928), Harold (1929), and Doris (1933).
On the 1939 England and Wales Register, William Henry is listed as Harry but this is crossed out and William Henry is written in, so he was probably known has Harry in the family.
Frederick Henry served with the Cheshire Regiment in WW1 but was discharged due to disability.
The 2nd battalion took part in the D-Day landings and the attack on Arnham.
discoverscottishborders.com
After the evacuation from Dunkirk the battalion retrained in Britain for the eventual return to North Western Europe. That moment came on D-Day 6th June 1944, when the 1st bn landed on the Normandy Coast (Sword Beach) as part of the 3rd division. They quickly became engaged in brutal fighting to secure the beachhead and push inland.
In July 1944 the 1st K.O.S.B were among the first of the Allied troops to enter the shattered city of Caen after Operation Charnwood. The battalion then fought on through France, into Belguim and the Netherlands.
royalscotskosbwardiaries.co.uk
Based at Saint Hubert, a village near Milheeze, close to the Dutch/German border.
31/10/1944: Little mortaring during the morning. At 11:45 hrs 'C' coy saw a tracked vehicle moving in the area of Steel Factory and also shouting from the same area. This place was engaged by R.A. and 4.2 mortars, eventually setting fire to the buildingd and small arms ammunition was heard exploding. Targets at 800326 were also engaged by the R.A. shortly afterwards. At 18:50 hrs across section on an enemy mortar at 807330 was obliterated and duly stonked by one regiment af Artillery and 'A' coy of 4.2 mortars. 'A' coy standing patrol had nothing to report . 'D' coy opposite them on the East of the railway at 799316, and one bosche was seen walking from the church at 799315 into a house opposite them. 'A' coy recce patrol from 18:30 to 21:00 hrs reported no sign of the enemy on the West of the railway, but heard matallic sound as of a shovel from just over the railway at approximately 700319 and the sound of a woman and child weeping 200 yrds further East. 'D' coy recce patrol reported road-river bridge intact, rail-river bridge blown at 799316, the water in the river at this point being 5-6 feet deep. They also saw several of the enemy walking about in the houses opposite them at 799316. 'C' coy patrol lay up in the wood at 707324 for half an hour heard movement on railway and in the bushes near the railway immediately to their front.
Total Casualties from 14th Oct
Officers: Maj A J Rennie wounded (since re-joined) Capt T J Young missing (PW)
Other Ranks: 32 wounded, 10 killed, 20 missing.
1/11/1944: At 03:20 hrs 'C' coy asked for Q3 to be put down (steel factory). An enemy patrol of 6 or 7 men was pinned down from the fire from 14 PL (platoon) in the area just north of the strip of trees 796323. The patrol fired a white then green verey light from the area of the rly in front of 14 PL farm. Where upon 14 PL were heavily stonked by 8.1 mortars. Our 3'' mortars then fired 50 rounds on the area of the rly at 799325 then Q3 followed the southern half of 943 DF task by 33 FD Regt (Field Regiment). At 06:20 hrs 'C' coy heard movement on the East of rly and asked for Q3 & Q1. The 33 FD Regt obliged promptly . 'C' coy reported they had heard moaning coming from the area where they had shot up the enemy patrol. A short time afterwards 'C' coy fired on two of the enemy seen dragging a third with them. Shortly after mid-day 'A' coy reported hearing movement of heavy tracked vehicles at 800322. As we had been told to expect a counter attack, this sounds ominous we stonked the spot heavily however and the movement stopped. At 16:30 'A' coy standing patrol reported one explosion 200 yrds to the East of the level crossing at 799320. There was no reports of a gun, so we concluded that it was a demolition. At 18:45 hrs a rapid stonk was put down on Hoeve Victor. Several sentries reported having seen a machine like glider going from North to South across our front at about 19:30 hrs. 'D' coy standing patrol during daylight reported occasional signs of enemy movement, however there was nothing new of importance. 'D' coy recce patrol under Sgt Batey were fired on by 5 of the enemy in the South East corner of orchard forwrd of 'D' coy.
Casualties for month of November
Killed: officers nil other ranks 6
Wounded: officers nil other ranks 15
Missing: officers nil other ranks 1
Unknown
No photos