George Herbert Cooke

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Sun, 06/12/2015 - 13:15

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