Pte 17289 Sydney Isaac Cook

• Age: 20
• From: Cromer, Norfolk
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Sydney Isaac Cook was born in the last quarter of 1895 (an online commemorative site gives his birthdate as 6th November) in Gayton, Norfolk, six miles east of King's Lynn. He was the son of Harry Cook and his wife Annie (nee Neale). Harry was born in Maulden, Bedfordshire, and Annie in Newbold Verdon, Leicestershire. Harry and Annie had twelve children between 1882 and 1899. He was the tenth of their 12 children: Sydney's older siblings were Alice, who was born in Bedfordshire, Arthur Harry, and Fred, both born in Chesham, Buckinghamshire. By 1896 the family had moved to Norfolk, where Florence Ada, Ada, Ambrose, Leonard, Helena Thorpe, and Edwin Percy were born. He had two younger brothers, Leslie Gordon and Cecil Ernest. Sydney was baptised with brothers Percy and Leslie on 20th June 1897 in the Parish of Gayton.

Tragedy struck the family in 1901 when Harry died, aged 40, after an illness and was buried on the 2nd April. Harry had been a police constable, he was also the son of a police constable. He was laid to rest surrounded by fellow officers in the churchyard in Roughton, Norfolk where the family lived.

Annie was left with 11 children to bring up aged from 4 to 19. The police committee decided “in view of the exceptional circumstances of the case ordered payment to the widow of the late police constable Harry Cook of a gratuity of £84 14s and 6d.”

Their 16 month old son Cecil Ernest was buried a few days later on 9th April.

At the time of the 1901 census, taken one day after his father's death, his widowed mother, 40, is living in Roughton with 11 children. Sydney is 5.  Eldest brother Arthur, 17, is a bread baker, and Fred, 16, is working as a boot boy in North Walsham, about 12 miles away.

The 1911 census finds his mother, 49, and three sons in Roughton House, Station Road, Cromer, on the Norfolk coast north of Norwich. Percy 16, and Sidney 15, have no occupation, and Leslie is 13, at school.

His eldest brother, 27-year old Arthur, became a Police Constable like his father, and is boarding in Old Catton, outside Norwich.

It is not known when or why Sydney went to Liverpool, perhaps for employment, but he enlisted on 31st August 1914 at St George's Hall in Liverpool, joining the 19th Battalion as Private 17289. He gave his age as 21 years and 236 days, and his occupation as a Valet. He is described as being six feet and three quarter inches tall, weighed 154lbs, 37” chest, of fair complexion, grey eyes, light brown hair and gave his religion as Church of England and NOK his mother 51 Station Road. 

Formed on 07^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. Whilst at Grantham on 21.07.15, Sydney was charged with: Improper conduct (interfering with NCO's order). He was confined to barracks for two days.They remained at Grantham until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.

Sydney was killed in action on the 30th July 1916, aged 20, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

19^th Battalion Diary 30^th July 1916

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 other ranks" 

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July.

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.  

His name was listed among the casualties Killed in the Ipswich evening star on 11th September 1916.

Sydney's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France. 

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. 

On 01^st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”  

His outstanding Army pay and a War Gratuity of £8-10s went to his mother.

Sidney’s brother Arthur Harry Cook MM, MID served as Lance Sergeant 19467 in the 3rd Battalion of the Grenadier Guards and was killed in action eighteen days earlier on 12th July 1916, aged 32. He now rests at Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery in Armentieres, Nord Pas de Calais France, where his headstone bears the epitaph:

"THIS WAS A MAN" 

His mother was awarded a combined pension of 15 shillings a week for both sons.

His other brothers served and survived the war.

Fred served in the Norfolk Regiment, then the K.L.R. and later joined the R.A.F.

Percy enlisted on 07th September 1914 in the Norfolk Regiment and became a Sergeant. He was wounded in action, evacuated to England, and was awarded the Military Medal.

Leslie also joined the Norfolks, and was wounded in action in 1917, after which he was transferred to the Essex Regiment.

Ambrose, a professional golfer, enlisted on 31st August 1914 in the K.R.R.C. and achieved the rank of Sergeant and was mentioned in despatches. He served on the Western Front, and was evacuated to England after being wounded in the face and hand. After recuperating from his wounds he was sent to Salonika, where he suffered bouts of malaria.

Leonard's military service has not been found.

The Yarmouth Independent published an article on the brothers on 19th May 1917 under the heading, "A Fighting Family":

The soldier family of Mrs. Cook, of Station Road Cromer, has a remarkable record.  All her seven sons donned khaki, two have made the Supreme Sacrifice, two have won the Military Medal, and three have been mentioned in despatches.  Her eldest son, Sergeant Arthur Cook of the Grenadier Guards, was killed in action some months ago; he had previously been mentioned in despatches and lately his mother has been officially notified that his gallantry in action gained him the Military Medal, and that this posthumous award will be presented to her on a date to be fixed later.  Arthur Cook was well known in many parts of Norfolk; at one time he was in the Norwich City Police Force, and transferred to the County Constabulary, in which he was serving at the outbreak of war.  In the latest list of honours for conspicuous gallantry appears the name of Mrs. Cook's fifth son, Sergt. Percy E. Cook, Norfolks, who gains the Military Medal. He is at present at the V.A.D. Hospital at Hawkhurst, Kent, suffering from bullet wounds.  Mrs. Cook has now been notified that her youngest boy, Private Leslie G. Cook Norfolks, was wounded on April 28th, and her second son, Corpl. Fred Cook, Liverpool Regiment, is in hospital in Lancashire, suffering from "trench feet".  Percy also had his name figure in despatches, as did his brother Ambrose. The sixth son, Private Sidney, in the Liverpools, was killed within sixteen days of his brother Arthur."

Both brothers are remembered on the following Memorials:

Cromer War Memorial, Overstrand, Norfolk.

St. Martin Memorial, Plaque, and Book of Remembrance, Overstrand

Arthur is also commemorated on the Norfolk Constabulary Memorial

Different organisations have used the names Sidney/Sydney. We have used the CWGC spelling of his name. 

We currently have no further information on Sydney Isaac Cook, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.