SKELTON - IN - CLEVELAND
IN HISTORY
"WE WILL REMEMBER THEM"

Private ROBERT COOKE.

2945, 4th Bn, Yorkshire Regiment.

who died, aged 30 on the 17th September 1916.

Son of Alfred and Sarah Cooke, of 31 Cleveland St, Skelton-in-Cleveland, N Yorks.


Thiepval Memorial. Somme, France

On the 1901 census Robert, aged 15, is living at 31 Cleveland St and had been born in Skelton.
He was already working down the Ironstone mine.
His mother and father came from Wymondham, Norfolk and are listed as grocers/milk dealers.
He had 4 brothers - John 23 and Arthur 17, also miners, Alfred 12 and Theodore 9.
His brother Arthur Cooke, 1/5th Bn Yorks Regt, was killed on the 11th November 1916 in the same area.
His sisters were Hannah 25 and Gertrude 18.

The 4th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment were formed in August 1914 in Northallerton.
They became part of the 150th Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division.
After landing at Boulogne on the 14th May 1915, the Division took part in most of the actions on the Western Front.
Robert Cooke was killed in action during the Battle of Flers Courcelette one of the Battles of the Somme, an Allied offensive which was pursued from July 1916 until winter intervened.
Little was gained and over 400,000 lives lost.
The Thiepval Memorial commemorates more than 72,000 UK and Commonwealth men, who have no known grave.

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