DRIVER 786203 WALTER JOSEPH COOK, 'B' BATTERY 312th BRIGADE, ROYAL FIELD ARTILLERY.


DRIVER 786203 WALTER JOSEPH COOK, 'B' BATTERY 312th BRIGADE, ROYAL FIELD ARTILLERY. KILLED IN ACTION, 2nd MAY 1917. AGED 21

Walter Cook was born in 1896, the eldest son of farmer John Henry Cook and his wife Clara, who lived in the Old Hall on Wheatley Lane, Ben Rhydding. The family later moved into Ilkley, where they took up residence on Wharfe View Road and John took up employment at the sewage works just off Leeds Road. By 1911 the family were to be found living in Bradford at 7 Waverley Road in the Lidget Green area of the city where Walter was employed in one of the many local mills.


In April 1915 Walter volunteered for the Royal Field Artillery and enlisted in the newly formed 312th Brigade. This was a locally raised unit and largely consisted of men from the Bradford area and included a number of men from Ilkley. The 312th consisted of Howitzers and medium sized field guns which would normally be located just behind the front line. All the guns would be hauled by teams of horses and Walter’s primary task, as a driver, would be to control the horses when moving the guns. 

Although, the Field Artillery were not in the front line and did not suffer the inherent danger of trench warfare, they were sufficiently close to suffer from enemy fire. In particular, because they were not protected by trenches, they were susceptible to enemy artillery fire. Furthermore, enemy artillery targeted artillery units to try to put their guns out of action.
The 312th arrived in France in January 1917 and spent the year in the Arras sector where they were heavily involved in shelling German positions during the major Spring offensive. On 2nd May the Brigade was located near to the village of Ecourt-sur-Mein where they were shelling the German barbed wire prior to a new offensive. During a lull in the barrage, Walter and two friends, Harold Naylor and Harold Emmott, who were also from Bradford. volunteered to repair telephone wires. As they began their work a German artillery shelled landed amongst them killing all three men instantly.

The bodies of the Walter and his two friends were buried together near to where they fell. For three years they lay undisturbed before they were moved, in 1920, to the large H A C British Military Cemetery where they were finally laid to rest side by side. In a letter to his parents Walters commanding officer wrote of him that "..he had a willing, cheerful and happy disposition under all circumstances".

Driver Walter Cook is remembered on the City of Bradford Roll of Honour and on our war memorial in Ilkley.


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