William Henry Gilbertson Cooke

[mysterysinger]

William was born in 1887 in the St Anne's area of Liverpool. The family moved to Stalybridge, Cheshire. He enrolled in the Manchester Regiment at Ashton Under Lyne and served as a private in 1/9th. He died 19th January 1916 and is buried at St Paul's, Stalybridge.  Commonwealth War Graves Records show he died at home although seems to have been in a hospital at Westminster prior to that. 

I'm guessing he served in Egypt and then at Gallipoli in 1915 - his date of death is not that long after the evacuation of Gallipoli though may have been  injured prior to that, bearing in mind the time it would have taken to get him back to England. I've managed to find enlistment records and obviously war grave information. There's no one left around to provide more first hand information. 

Does anyone know of further searchable information on the internet that could fill in some details about his service in the Manchester's? Has anyone seen any photos including him? I think there could have been another William Henry Cooke in the same regiment though - of a higher rank.

Grateful for any assistance here. He would have been my Dad's Uncle had he lived.

[harribobs]

HI

I'm struggling to find him in any of the databases but thought I'd clear up something. Died at Home means that he died in the UK rather than dying in his own home

Chris

[sphinx]

Hello,

His number was 2088 and he was indeed in 'C' Company of the 1st/9th (TF) BN and served in Egypt and Gallipoli with them.  He was of St. Annes, Liverpool.

Rank:
    Private
Service No:
    2088
Date of Death:
    19/01/1916
Age:
    29
Regiment/Service:
    Manchester Regiment
 
    "C" Coy. 1st/9th Bn.
Grave Reference:
    Spec. Memorial.
Cemetery:
    STALYBRIDGE (ST. PAUL) CHURCHYARD
Additional Information:
    Son of Edward and Mary Cooke.

regards

[mysterysinger]

Thank you both so much for your help.

Egypt and Gallipoli are what I expected to find and it's nice to see confirmation of that. Also, confirmation that at home means in the UK because I then suspect he would have died at Military Hospital Codford, St Mary, Westminster.

It would be good to find out how and when he was wounded and/or departed Gallipoli (perhaps for Malta in the first instance?). Are there reliable sources on line that might hold the answers?

I've seen his name on the war memorial near the centre of Stalybridge. Edward and Mary (who would have been my Great Grandparents) probably met in Liverpool and started a family there. They moved to Huyton at some point and then to Stalybridge with their 3 surviving sons Walter (my Grandad), William Henry Gilbertson and Bertie who was in the theatre and, so they said, dated Hylda Baker.

[themonsstar]

Here are the medal roll pages for his 1915 Star & BWM&VM.

Roy

[mysterysinger]

Thanks for the documents.

[Tim Bell]

The pension card show William died from disease.