Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 8010 - Orders, Decorations, Medals & Militaria
Lot: 210

A Great War Group of Three to Private T.W. Cook, Rifle Brigade, Killed in Action, 31.7.1917 1914 Star, with Bar (4855 Pte. T. Cook, 3/Rif: Brig.); British War and Victory Medals (4855 Pte. T.W. Cook. Rif. Brig.), good very fine or better, with Great War Bronze Memorial Plaque, ´Thomas Watson Cook´, with Cap Badge, regimental sterling silver and enamel badge, brass badge commemorating the death of recipient at Arras, centre filled with small photograph of recipient, and enclosure slip for 1914 Star, addressed to Mrs. Cook (lot) Estimate £ 200-240 4855 Private Thomas Watson Cook, born West Wickham, Kent, 1894; served during the Great War with the 3rd Battalion Rifle Brigade on the Western Front from 10.9.1914; he was killed in action 31.7.1917; in late July the 3rd Battalion were involved in the opening stages of the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele), taking part in the fierce fighting around the Zillebeke area, 30th July - 4th August 1917; the Battalion War Diary entry for the 31st July gives the following, ´´at 8.35am the Battalion advanced and almost at once came under heavy machine gun fire and it became necessary to deploy and advance by short rushes, which owing to the difficult going was exhausting. Owing to the trouble on the right "D" Coy on the left got somewhat in advance of the remainder of the Battalion and was ordered to halt somewhere on the edge of Bodmin Copse, there being at this time no one on either flank. Line consolidated. During the advance one enemy aeroplane was brought down by A/Cpl Ripper by means of Lewis gun fire. During the whole operation hostile shelling was very severe and this coupled with the rain made consolidation, communication and dealing with casualties extremely difficult´´; the Battalion suffered 5 Officers killed and 2 wounded, with 42 other ranks killed and 172 wounded; Young is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.

Sold for
£280