No. 5177, Private, Robert Arthur COOK (E)
Aged 18
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Robert Arthur Cooke was born in 1897 in Tuddenham (Mildenhall Q1-1897 4A:842)) baptised in St Stephens, Higham Green on 28th February 1897, son of Arthur and
Martha Matilda COOKE (née BILLMORE or BILLIMORE).
1901 census...Aged 4, he was at Newmarket Road, Tuddenham with his father Arthur COOKE [38] farm labourer, born Stanningfield; his mother Martha [33] born Higham; half sister Martha BILLMORE (Martha Ann Hollingsworth BILLIMORE)[13] born Higham; sisters Eliza [11] born Tuddenham and Agnes [9] born Higham, and brothers Frederick [6] and Ernest [2] both born in Tuddenham. 1911 census...Aged 14, a farm labourer, he was at Desnage Lodge, Higham with his parents; grandmother Eliza COOK [80], sister Agnes, brothers Frederick George (farm labourer) and Ernest Edward, and Francis [9] (no place of birth given). |
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He enlisted in Bury St Edmunds. The East Surrey's have an excellent war diary online at http://qrrarchive.websds.net/PDF/ES00819151103.pdf which tells us :- 11th November 1915 - "It was reported at 5 a.m. that the listening posts had been withdrawn from the TAMBOUR as the R.E. Officer in charge of the miners thought that there might be retaliation on the part of the Germans for the camouflet exploded by us the previous afternoon. Nothing happened and the men were replaced at 6.30 a.m. Work was commenced on the new trench in rear of C5 trench leading to the new dump. There were four casualties, Pte Coleman and Pte Claydon being killed and Ptes Austin and Cook wounded. Most unusual for a diary entry to mention OR.s by name but the East and West Surrey's do appear to have kept meticulous diaries. The Pte Claydon was Harry Claydon from Six Mile Bottom. A camouflet is a cavern created by an underground explosion which does not breach the surface. Usually created by miners digging under an enemy tunnel and then setting off a charge that collapses the enemy tunnel.
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