Pte
Harry Cooke
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1891 |
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Place of birth: Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: Goulburn Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
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Profession: Station Hand - Farm Hand |
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Religion: Church of England |
Army information
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Country: Australia |
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Force: Australian Imperial Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 2542 |
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Enlistment date: 18/09/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
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Units: — Australian Infantry, 37th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 12/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Laamkeek, Zonnebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 26 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: XXIII Row: D Grave: 2 |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Harry Cooke was the son of Harriet Cooke. He was born around 1891 in Birmingham, Warwickshire. Before the war he emigrated to Australia. He lived in Sydney, New South Wales, and worked as a farm labourer. Harry enlisted in the Australian Army and was part of the 37th Battalion Australian Infantry Regiment (10th Brigade, 3rd Division).
Harry was killed in action on 12 October 1917 during the First Battle of Passchendaele, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. The 37th Battalion launched the attack for Augustus Wood and aimed to advance to Crest Farm. The attack began at 5:25 a.m. The artillery and machine gun fire during the advance was heavy. Pillboxes were tackled and German men were captured. The battalion reached its objective but was unable to consolidate. The unit therefore withdrew about 50 yards and dug in under machine gun fire.
The shelling on the battalion headquarters, located at Hamburg Farm, was also heavy. The remaining officers and men in the front line established themselves in new positions about 100 yards further back. Stretcher bearers were busy evacuating the wounded, a difficult task: not only did the condition of the ground hinder the evacuation, but the constant shelling of the aid post in the vicinity of Dab Trench also made it difficult to administer first aid. Even the stretcher bearers were not safe from the shelling.
The captured line could be held and a connection was made with the New Zealanders on their left and the 9th Australian Brigade on their right. There were no further German attempts to launch a counterattack. The number of casualties was high: 28 killed, 179 wounded and 37 missing.
Harry was killed in action at the age of 26. According to his service record, his body was buried between Augustus Wood, north of the Ravebeek, and about 100 yards from Haalen Copse. After the war, his body was found near Laamkeek. His remains were reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
Harry was killed in action on 12 October 1917 during the First Battle of Passchendaele, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. The 37th Battalion launched the attack for Augustus Wood and aimed to advance to Crest Farm. The attack began at 5:25 a.m. The artillery and machine gun fire during the advance was heavy. Pillboxes were tackled and German men were captured. The battalion reached its objective but was unable to consolidate. The unit therefore withdrew about 50 yards and dug in under machine gun fire.
The shelling on the battalion headquarters, located at Hamburg Farm, was also heavy. The remaining officers and men in the front line established themselves in new positions about 100 yards further back. Stretcher bearers were busy evacuating the wounded, a difficult task: not only did the condition of the ground hinder the evacuation, but the constant shelling of the aid post in the vicinity of Dab Trench also made it difficult to administer first aid. Even the stretcher bearers were not safe from the shelling.
The captured line could be held and a connection was made with the New Zealanders on their left and the 9th Australian Brigade on their right. There were no further German attempts to launch a counterattack. The number of casualties was high: 28 killed, 179 wounded and 37 missing.
Harry was killed in action at the age of 26. According to his service record, his body was buried between Augustus Wood, north of the Ravebeek, and about 100 yards from Haalen Copse. After the war, his body was found near Laamkeek. His remains were reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
Sources 4
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37th Australian Infantry Battalion, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/54/16). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
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First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455 COOKE H). https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 1995), 129-130. Sources used |
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Unit embarkation nominal rolls, 1914-18 War (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM8). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
More information 4
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/462362 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=860cd96b-05af-40f2-bd8c-554e8c160c94 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7396499 |
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The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=61284 |