Lives of the First World War

23rd July 1916

Walter Cook was killed at Delville Wood on 23 July 1916 aged 17 years.He was an uncle that I never met but he is remembered with love and pride by subsequent generations of the family. He was born into a working class family in south London in 1899 and in common with thousands of others responded to the call;but in his case as an under age recruit.I once asked one of his brothers why he volunteered at such a young age and was told that there was no work available at the time, According to CWGC paperwork his remains were found in the 1920,s and he was interred in Delville Wood Cemetery. Sadly no memorabilia,letters,medals or photos survive.What did survive was the scroll issued by the King and the Shield.For years his photo and one of his grave were on the wall of my grandmothers but they disappeared following her death.I have enquired of his regiment about a photograph but they chose to ignore my enquiry !! As far as I am aware none of his immediate family visited his grave in France;but in the 1980,s my son was doing a school trip the the WW1 battlefields and he became the first direct descendant to visit Walter Cooks grave;60 years after his interment, Most poignant of all,given the lack of any personal possessions,I found in his brothers effects the remains of a cigarette that Walter left on the kitchen table as left for the Somme for the last time.This is now in my possesion.I hope to return to Delville Wood to mark the centenary of his death in 1916.

Created by: , John79084