George Herbert Cooke

First Name: 
George
Middle Name: 
Herbert / Hubert
Last Name: 
Cooke
Date of Birth: 
Wednesday, January 9, 1895
Mother's Name: 
Jane Cooke (nee King)
Father's Name: 
William Cooke
Date Enlisted: 
Monday, March 15, 1915
Rank at Enlistment: 
Private
Rank at Discharge: 
Trooper
Unit: 
12th Light Horse
Company: 
B Squadron
Service: 
Cavalry
Awards: 
1914/1915 Star
British War Medal
Victory Medal
Date of Death: 
Wednesday, October 31, 1917
Place of Death: 
Beersheba, Palestine
Cause of Death: 
Killed in action
Details: 

George Cooke (Service No 848) was born in Kiama, N.S.W. one of 8 children, and attended Gerringong Public School.

George enlisted when he was 20 years old; he was single and worked a farm at nearby Gerringong.

He embarked from Sydney on board HMAT A51 Chilka with 2nd Reinforcements, 12th Light Horse on 7th June 1915. 

After arriving in Egypt George was sent to Gallipoli on 2nd October 1915.  George contracted enteric (typhoid) fever and was admitted to hospital on Gallipoli on 6th November 1915.  When his condition worsened and he became dangerously ill, George and was sent to Malta for treatment.  From Malta he was sent on to hospital in Egypt, and had been marked for return to Australia but this did not happen, and he returned to B Squadron on 9th March 1916.

George served in the Middle East with 12th Light Horse.  On 31st October 1917 George was at the charge of Beersheba and was one of 20 of the 12th Light Horse Regiment killed. 

Most of the casualties were from hand to hand combat fighting in the trenches, but from George's wounds it would appear he was hit and killed by machine gun fire before reaching the trenches.    

George Cooke is buried in Beersheba War Cemetery, Palestine: Row D, Grave 61.

George's brother, Harold Cooke (Service No 3046 ), also served

Sources: 
NAA: B2455, COOKE G H

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