Saved by a pay book

Walter William Cooke

Citation by the Czar. Pay book with bullet hole. 2 photos of Walter Cooke

Walter William Cooke was born on 24th January 1888 in Cirencester, Glos. He was one of 10 children, 6 boys 3 emigrated to Canada but served in WWI and survived, as did the other three. Walter joined the Life Guards in 1905; in 1913 he joined the police. On outbreak of war he re-joined his old regiment, as a Trooper, then Machine Gun Trooper, and promoted to Corporal of Horse. On 25th August 1915 he was mentioned in dispatches and received the Cross of St George 4th Class – a Russian medal. Walter was wounded at Rouen, his pay book saved his life, a bullet got lodged in the book. The family asked in 2018 about Russian medal recipients selected but other info rarely disclosed. Walter re-joined the police in 1919 and served until 1939, he died in 1965.

1915

Rouen, France
Hondeghem, France

Janice Wheeler

20/05/2019 Crownhill Library