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WW1
Cook Percy
Private Percy Cook (2408) enlisted at Brighton, Tasmania, in the Reserve Park 10th. Army Service Corps on September 8, 1914 as a Driver. The Unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A26 Armadale on October 20, 1914. He was 22 years and 7 months old, and his calling was stated to be Carter. He was not married, and his next of kin was his mother, Catherine Cook, of 23 Upper Goulbourn Street, Hobart. Percy was 5 feet, 6 inches high, and his weight was 9 stone, 10 pounds. Percy had a chest measurement of 33-35 inches, his complexion was dark, and his eyes blue. He had dark brown hair, and his religious denomination was Catholic. Percy had distinctive marks on his body; these included sailor, flags, star and anchor on right forearm, butterfly, bird, and initials P.C. on the left arm. Percy was a wild lad, to say the least. His service record states that he was absent without leave for several periods; he was drunk whilst on picquet; he was absent from a defaulters parade; he used insubordinate language to a superior officer; he disobeyed orders; he spent a period of time in Alexandria, Egypt, in the General Hospital with venereal disease; he was charged with drunkeness on many occasions; and he struck a superior officer. The latter misdemeanours earning him a court martial and a one way trip back to Australia for disciplinary reasons on March 3, 1916. Percy (2788) re-enlisted with the 57th. Infantry Battalion, 6th Reinforcement on September 12, 1916, in Melbourne, Victoria. The Unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A71 Nestor on October 2, 1916. His medical examination shows that he had tattoos, and a vaccination mark on his left arm, as well as a scar on the right thigh. This was not mentioned in the first examination, so perhaps he suffered an injury? His next of kin was his mother, Catherine Cook, of 4 Frederick Street, West Hobart. He embarked on the troop carrier "Nestor" on October, 2, 1916, and disembarked in Plymouth, England on November 16, 1916. Percy marched into the 15th. Training Battalion, and proceeded to France on the Princess Clementine on December 30, 1916. He proceeded to join the 57th. Battalion on February 6, 1917. He was taken on strength on February 7, and was killed in action on May 13, 1917 at Bullecourt, France. He is buried, along with many other thousands of Australians at 26 Villers Bretonneux-France. The following extracts are from the Australian Red Cross Society Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau files. Percy's file contains copies of letters from the Red Cross to Percy's brother Pte. Harold (John) Cook and unofficial evidence from his fellow soldiers. This evidence really brings home the horrors of war, and potentially, how a very simple thing such as an ill-fitting boot, can mean the difference between life and death. "I was in the next bay to him when he was killed at Bullecourt on May 13th. … We were holding the front line under heavy shell fire. In the early morning a shell lobbed right in the bay and killed Cook instantly. Half his head was blown away. When we were relieved he was left in a shell hole with a L/Cpl. who was killed with him. Cook belonged to the 6th Reinforcements, age about 24, dark complexion-don't know what he was but should think a labourer. He was a quiet reserved chap. His name was Paddy." Pte. G.S. Wilson "I saw him killed at Ypres. He was caught by shell fragments about the head death being instantaneous. He was killed behind our front line but I do not know the place of burial and I cannot refer to anyone for particulars although he is sure to have been buried. I knew him well he was the only man of that name in the Coy." Pte. D. Morrison "He was killed by a shell as he was coming back between the support and reserve lines at 12 o'clock at night after we had been laying cables up to the front line. He stayed behind as he had a bad heel and couldn't keep up any longer with the rest of us and his friend Pte. Finchley of the same Coy … stayed with him. I was told by some of the Aust Pioneers that they found both the dead bodies and buried them in the open near Hell Fire Corner in the Ypres Sector quite close to where they were killed". Pte. E. Rowe "He was short, thickset. I don't know what become of him, but he and Pte. Finchley were together. We were coming home from a fatigue. One of those two had something wrong with his boots, and the other stayed with him and they were both missing". Pte. F. Stranger "I knew Cook was killed at Bullecourt and was buried there in the trench. I saw him buried-he was killed at the same time at L/Cpl. Jones. Eyewitness Description-Cooky, short, stoutly built." Pte. S. Lucas "Regarding 2788 Pte. P. Cook's death, personally he was a close friend of mine, being in the same section and platoon as me, and we used to go about a great deal together. He was a man of darkish complexion, height about 5ft 7ins, thick set and about 24 or 5 years of age. He might be a little older but I should not think much. On Wednesday night the 9th May, we went in to the front line, which was known as the Hindenburg line and a sector on the right of Bullecourt. On the Saturday night 12th inst., we were getting relieved by an English regiment, but owing to the very heavy shelling they were cut off in the communication trench and couldn't get through to relieve us so we had to put another night in the line that making it the 4th night and about daybreak about 6 o'clock 13th a shell came over, and dropped in the trench amongst about 6 of us. Paddy Cook, being one of them, killing him outright also L/Cpl. Jones and wounding 8 others besides myself. One was 2787 Pte. Clayton who came over from Australia on the same boat as Cook, and the other was a fellow out of the regiment that was relieving us. It all happened in the course of a second and as soon as the smoke of the shell had cleared away I looked around and saw Cook laying alongside of me dead and the others around me groaning. I had a rough look over to see where the wound was that killed him but couldn't find any and I think myself, that it was more concussion than anything else that killed him as he was about the closest to the shell when it exploded about 2 yards away. As soon as I had done all I could to the other wounded I had to go and get my own wound dressed as it was starting to give me pain and making me feel faint and while I was getting dressed a couple of men were sent to the others to attend to them and I heard later that Cook and Jones were buried in the trench close to the spot where they were killed as there was no cemetery within two to three miles from the spot and it was impossible to take them back there, but there is no doubt that where they were buried, they were layed out as comfortable as possible." Pte. W. Fagg Percy's medals were issued to his mother; the British War Medal and the 1914-1915 Star on September 30, 1921, and the Victory Medal on February 7, 1923. These medals were given on the basis that Percy had re-enlisted, and was subsequently killed in action. It is worth mentioning that Percy's records show no further misdemeanours. In 1920, Catherine arranged for a short inscription to be placed on his plaque on his grave "From Shortened Pain to Lasting Joys. Deaths Welcome Summons Calls." Catherine was granted a war pension of 40/- per fortnight from August 7, 1917. It is assumed that Percy was a member of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, Loyal Jubilee Lodge, No. 16, as the Secretary asked for confirmation of the death of Percy. According to information provided by The Soldiers Walk, Queens Domain, Hobart, internet site, Percy had tree number 408 planted in his honour. He is also mentioned on the Honours Board in St. John the Baptist Anglican Church. Percy is commemorated in the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial, Panel No. 163. The wild lad, Percy, died serving his country, R.I.P. Percy. Roll of Honour, The Mercury (Hobart, Tas.) 9 June 1917 COOK. - Killed in action in France, May 13, 1917, Private Percy Cook, the dearly loved youngest son of Catherine and the late John Cook. In the 22nd year of his age. Late of Goulburn-street, Hobart. His duty nobly done. Information supplied by Leanda Balmforth
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