COOK, George Robert
| Service Number: | 4143 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 4 August 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 12th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Manoora, South Australia, 1 August 1868 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 4 Aug 1915: | Enlisted | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Jan 1916: | Involvement Private, 4143, 12th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Borda embarkation_ship_number: A30 public_note: '' | |
| 11 Jan 1916: | Embarked Private, 4143, 12th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Borda, Adelaide |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by tony griffin
4143 Private George Robert Cook
John Cook, with his brothers Charles and William, came from Berkshire and settled in Manoora. John, who farmed 460 acres about 1 kilometre from North Manoora along the Mintaro Road married Anne Sheehan at Kooringa on 26 April 1853. John Cook served as a District Councillor for a number of years. Their son, George Robert Cook, was born at Manoora on 1 August 1868.
Both of George’s parents must have been deceased when he enlisted in Adelaide on 4 August 1915 as he nominated his sister, Mrs Sarah Lindsay of 33 Johns Road, Prospect as his next of kin. It is also possible that he may have lied about his age which he stated to be 44 on his attestation form. George was employed as a labourer. Initially he was appointed to F Company 2nd Depot Battalion but on 1 November was posted to 13th Reinforcements 12th Battalion. George embarked from Outer Harbour aboard HMAT A30 Borda on 11 January 1916 and after a short stopover in Egypt embarked from Alexandria on 29 March 1916 to join the British Expeditionary Force in France where he disembarked at Marseilles on 4 April.
After four months training, probably in England, George and 200 other reinforcements were taken on strength of 12th Battalion in France on 4 August 1916. At this time the Battalion was in reserve but on 19 August moved up to the front line and to the bitter trench warfare where, in places, only 40 yards separated the armies.
On 1 September George was taken to 10th Casualty Clearing Station with scabies. He was transferred to 50th Casualty Clearing Station but suffering debility he was admitted to 25th General Hospital in Etaple on 8 October. His condition had deteriorated and, diagnosed with trench fever, he was evacuated to England on the hospital ship HMHS St Andrew. The following day George was admitted to Brook War Hospital in Woolwick. After a month he was transferred to 3rd Auxilliary Hospital at Dartford and three days later released to 2nd Australian Command Depot at Weymouth for convalescence.
No longer medically fit for service George was returned to Australia aboard HMAT A32 Themistocles which left England on 4 May and arrived in Adelaide on 2 July 1917. On 15 August George was discharged.