although commemorated at All Saints School and All Saints church
He is not named on the Newmarket War Memorial
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Believed to be Oswald Wilfrid G COOZE, born in Newmarket in Q2-1895 [Newmarket 3b:526a], to William and Susannah COOZE (née WINCHESTER)
of "Whitehall", Albert Street, Newmarket.
1901 census...Wilfrid [6] was in Albert Street, Newmarket, with his father William [52] housepainter born St Pancras, London; his mother Susannah [39], born High Barnet and sisters Hilda [19], a milliner born Islington; Florence [16]; Maud [14]; Lilian [10]; Margery [8] and Dorothea [3] and brother Harold [12].All the children except Hilda were born in Newmarket. An elder brother William is missing but he was in the Army in South Africa. 1911 census...Wilfrid is an apprentice house painter, living with his parents and sisters Hilda, Marjory and Dorothea at Waterside, Fordham.
This appears to be his father That is the sum total of information for Wilfrid, there is no trace of any military service despite being on 2 rolls of honour in Newmarket. Elder brother William Whitley COOZE junior seems to have added Alfred to his forenames and been awarded the Queens South African 1899 medal with 5 clasps, King's South Africa Medal, 1914 Star with clasp, British War Medal and Victory Medal. He actually stowed away on a ship taking Army horses to South Africa in order to join the war there. Surviving the war, he enlisted in the Territorials in 1920 and served until aged 45. On his discharge in 1912 he gave his intended address as Waterside Lodge, Fordham with his father William, mother Susan, brothers Harold and Wilfred, sisters Hilda, Florence, Maud, Lily,Margery and Dorothy, so there is no doubt as to identity and presence of Wilfred. Wilfrid Whitley COOZE is a complete mystery at this time (2017) as far as his military service. It is of course possible that he emigrated to USA and was enlisted there and fell as a member of the US Army but so far no such record has been found. |
