Service Number 853252
Service Army
Battalion 117 Battalion
Regiment Canadian Infantry
Rank | Number | Unit |
Pte | 853252 | 3rd Res Battalion Canadian Infantry |
Private | 853252 | 123rd Battalion Canadian Infantry |
Private | 853252 | 177 Battalion Canadian Infantry |
Private | 853252 | 9th Canadian Engineering Battalion |
Biography
On the 13th September 1918, The Wetherby News reported the wounding of Pte. Willie Cook:
From this information we were able to identify William 'Willie' Cook as being born in Seaton Ross on the 21st July 1891, the son of Peter and Mary Cook. William Cook is therefore the brother of Harry Cook whose story and service are told on a separate page
In 1901, William was living at Station Cottages, Newton Kyme, Tadcaster, but by 1911, he was working as a servant - a waggoner on the farm - of John Henry Hairsink at Bagley, Tickhill, Rotherham.>
William Cook's Canadian Military Service record has survived and show that he enlisted on the 29th April 1916 in Barrie Ontario and served with the service number 853252 in the 9th Canadian Engineers Battalion. It shows that at the time of enlistment, Willie had been living at Brock Street, Barrie, Ontario with his wife, Elizabeth Cook. The record also confirms that Willie was wounded on the 13th September 1918.
Willie's record also shows that he had initially joined and served in the 3rd Reserve Battalion of the Canadian Infantry, before joining 123 Battalion and then 177th Battalion of the Canadian Infantry, before his move the the engineers.
Willie's record also provides a reason why he might have been in North America - his civilian occupation is given as 'railroad' so he may have moved to America to work on the railways.
We do not know exactly when Willie emigrated.
After the war, Willie returned to Canada.
On the 29th January 1919, he arrived at Buffalo, USA giving his occupation as a miner and he entered the USA, and made a declaration for naturalisation in the USA on the 31st January 1919 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
In 1921, William's father Peter Cook died and was buried in Collingham churchyard.
Biography last updated 27 January 2020 17:43:47.
Sources
1911 Census. The National Archives. Class RG14 Piece 28142
If you have any photographs or further details about this person we would be pleased to hear from you. Please contact us via: alan.berry@collinghamanddistrictwararchive.info