COOK, Henry

Harry Cook lived with his parents at 33 Park Lane, Netherend, Cradley, and worked as a chain-maker in Lye. He was a pre-war Territorial in the South Staffords and went with the 1/5th Battalion to the Western Front in Spring1915. They experienced huge losses at the Hohenzollern Redoubt on the 13th October 1915 and again on the first day of the Somme in July 1916. On the 29th September 1918 they were able to reverse the account with the German forces in the breaking of the Hindenburg Line near St. Quentin. It was a famous action, carried out with great spirit and ingenuity and involved the crossing of the Canal at Riqueval. The German forces were in steady retreat from that defeat and the armistice was only two months away. The casualties, however, included Private Harry Cook who was killed in action on that day. He was 28 years of age and is buried at Jeancourt Communal Cemetery (VI F 6) and commemorated on the Cradley and Halesowen Memorials.