William Cook

He enlisted into the Army in 1915, joining the 18th (Service) Battalion Sherwood Foresters but later transferred to the 13th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. He won the Distinguished Conduct Medal; London Gazette, 17th April 1917. The citation read:- 'Early on the morning of the 1st March 1917, a party of 25 Germans attempted to raid a sap held by a post of six men, 13th Yorkshire Regiment, of whom Private Cook was one. The raiders came under a heavy barrage of heavy artillery and other shells which blew in the junction from the sap leading to the front line trenches. Several of the enemy started entering the sap and overpowering the garrison, Private Cook went through the barrage to obtain assistance and after calling out that assistance was required, he at once returned again through the barrage to the sap and engaged the enemy alone with bombs. Two of the enemy threw down their rifles and they all climbed out of the sap pursued by Private Cook followed by two other men of his battalion who had come up in the meantime. After a violent struggle the leader of the hostile party who was wounded, was captured, chiefly through Private Cook’s efforts, identification being thus obtained. Five of the enemy are known to have been killed and others are reported to have been wounded. Private Cook showed great initiative and gallantry.' On 29th April 1917, 12 days after the award of the DCM was gazetted, and after a period of leave in Nottingham during which William was presented with the DCM, he was killed in action. William has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial on the Somme.

Article published 22nd March 1917 in the Nottingham Evening Post :- “AWARDED THE D.C.M. “GALLANTRY OF A DAYBROOK SOLDIER. “Private William Cooke, a native of Daybrook, has been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for conspicuous gallantry while on active service. He formerly belonged to the Sherwood Foresters, but is at present serving with the Yorkshire Regiment. “Early one morning a party of Germans attempted to raid a sap held by a post of six men of the Yorkshires, including Private Cooke. The raiders came in under a heavy barrage of shells, which, blew in the junction of the sap with the front line trench. Nine of the enemy succeeded in entering the sap, and overpowering the garrison, but after passing through the barrage twice Private Cooke attacked the enemy alone with bombs. Two of the enemy threw down their rifles, and the remainder climbed out of the sap, pursued by Cooke and two other members of his regiment, who had just arrived on the scene. After a violent struggle the leader of the hostile party, who was wounded, was captured, chiefly through Cooke’s efforts. Five of the enemy were killed, and others were reported wounded. “Private Cooke displayed initiative and great gallantry,” observes his commanding officer, who forwards a description of the soldier’s bravery to the Mayor of Nottingham.” Article published in the Nottingham Evening Post, 18th April 1917 :- “A DAYBROOK HERO. “Private William Cooke, the York Regiment, who receives the Distinguished Conduct Medal, attacked a party of nine of the enemy single-handed, and captured the leader, after a violent struggle. At an informal gathering, at the Exchange Hall, Nottingham, yesterday, [17th April 1917] the Mayor Nottingham (Councillor J. E. Pendleton) pinned the decoration on Cooke's breast, and expressed warm admiration for the young man’s bravery. “After a short leave, Cooke, who is native of Daybrook, and originally, enlisted in the “Bantams,” is returning immediately to the front, or it had been the intention of the Mayor to ask Lord French to make the presentation, at the Albert Hall meeting, to-night.” Above articles are courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918 Nottingham Evening Post, 10 May 1917: ‘Daybrook DCM. Makes The Supreme Sacrifice. News has been received in Nottingham of the death of Pte W. Cooke (sic, of the Yorkshire Regiment, who, it will be remembered, was as recently as April 17th, decorated at the Exchange by the Mayor (Councillor JE Pendleton) with the Distinguished Conduct Medal. The deceased was a native of Daybrook, and started back for France immediately after the presentation.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)