COOK, Norman Alan
| Service Number: | 178 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 22 August 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 6th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Poowong, Victoria, Australia, July 1890 |
| Home Town: | Gardenvale, Glen Eira, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Driver |
| Died: | Bomb training accident, Fargo Military Hospital, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom, 21 July 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Durrington Cemetery, Wiltshire Durrington Cemetery (Grave No. 249), Wiltshire, Durrington Cemetery, Durrington, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Poowong Great War Honour Board, Poowong War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 22 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 178, 6th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Oct 1914: | Involvement Private, 178, 6th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Hororata embarkation_ship_number: A20 public_note: '' | |
| 19 Oct 1914: | Embarked Private, 178, 6th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Hororata, Melbourne | |
| 23 Jul 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 58th Infantry Battalion | |
| 12 Dec 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 58th Infantry Battalion | |
| 6 Jan 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Corporal, 6th Infantry Battalion | |
| 21 Jul 1917: | Involvement Corporal, 178, 6th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 178 awm_unit: 6th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1917-07-21 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK
Died on this date - 21st July......Corporal Norman Alan Cook was born in 1890 at Poowong in the Gippsland district, Victoria. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 22nd August, 1914 as a 24 year old Driver from Garden Vale, Victoria.
Private Cook embarked from Melbourne on 19th October, 1914 with 6th Battalion. He was admitted to Hospital Ship Grantully Castle with dysentery from Gallipoli on 11th June, 1915. He was then admitted to 1st Australian General Hospital at Heliopolis suffering from a Thigh wound on 19th-20th June, 1915. He was returned to duty 6th January, 1916 at O/Seas Base, Cairo.
Private Cook was admitted to Hospital at Tel-el-Kebir on 25th March, 1916 with a septic ankle. He was discharged to duty on 12th April, 1916.
Private Cook was transferred to 58th Battalion Reinforcements on 19th May, 1916 & arrived in France on 30th June, 1916. He was promoted to Temporary Corporal on 6th August, 1916 then promoted to Corporal on 12th November, 1916.
Corporal Cook was admitted to Hospital in France on 16th November, 1916 & returned to duty on 9th December, 1916. He was transferred back to 6th Battalion on 6th January, 1917 then admitted to Hospital on 23rd January, 1917 with Influenza & rejoined his Unit on 1st February, 1917.
Corporal Cook was detached for duty with 2nd Training Battalion in England from 6th Battalion AIF on 11th July, 1917. (Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was usually completed in training units in England. These were located in the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire.)
Corporal Cook was marched in to 2nd Training Battalion at Durrington, Wiltshire from France on 14th July, 1917.
Corporal Norman Alan Cook was admitted to Fargo Military Hospital, Wiltshire on 20th July, 1917 with a lacerated wound of Buttock from a bombing accident & a compound fracture of pelvis. Sadly he died on 21st July, 1917.
An Inquest was held into his death:
Sergt. Bingwood said that on Friday he was at certain experimental grounds when a tactical scheme was in progress. He was standing about five feet from Cook when there were shouts for a doctor. He had heard no report but on examination it was found that Cook’s right buttock was severely injured, as he thought, by something exploding in Cook’s pocket. While waiting, there was an explosion under his own boot which blew off the heel. He did not think the charges used in the bombs the men were using could have caused the injuries. Men were not allowed to carry bombs except those issued to them.
Capt. Richmonds, R.A.M.C., medical officer, stationed at Fargo Military Hospital, stated that Cook died on Saturday at 2.30 from shock caused by the injuries.
A verdict of accidental death due to explosion was returned.
Corporal Norman Alan Cook was buried in Durrington Cemetery, Wiltshire where 140 other WW1 Australian Soldiers are buried.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/a---c1.html
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