Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Royal Garrison Artillery

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”

Cecil Hope Cohen was born in Sydney, New South Wales on 5th July, 1888 to parents Henry Emanuel Cohen & Sophie Cohen (nee Frank).  

The Honourable Justice Henry Emanuel Cohen died at sea on 5th January, 1912, on board the SS Friedrich der Grosse.

In April, 1916 Cecil Hope Cohen enlisted with the Royal Garrison Artillery in London, England.

His regimental number was 74240 & his rank was Corporal. The Medal Index card for Corporal Cecil Hope Cohen records that he entered a Theatre of War in France on 1st December, 1916. His next-of-kin was listed as his mother – Mrs H. Cohen c/o Bank of Australasia, Martin St., Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Corporal Cecil Hope Cohen served with his Unit – Siege Artillery with British Expeditionary Force in France and England.

He was appointed 2nd Lieutenant (on Probation) (as listed in The London Gazette – 5 October, 1916)

2nd Lieutenant Cecil Hope Cohen was wounded in action in France in August, 1917 – shell-shock.

After recuperating from Shellshock, Lieutenant Cecil Hope Cohen became Instructor of Signals at Catterick Camp, England.

Lieutenant Cecil Hope Cohen died on 18th November, 1918 at Military Hospital, Catterick, Yorkshire, England from Pneumonia.

He was buried in Willesden Jewish Cemetery, Willesden, Brent, London, England  – Plot number N. I. II and has a Private Memorial. 

Newspaper item – The Daily Telegraph, Sydney, NSW, Australia – 29 November, 1918:

LATE CECIL HOPE COHEN

The news was received yesterday of the death of Lieutenant Cecil Hope Cohen by Mr. Ernest Cohen, of the firm of Ernest Cohen and Linton, solicitors. Lieutenant Cohen was a son of the late Mr. Justice Cohen, of the Supreme Court. He left Sydney in January, 1916, and enlisted in his Majesty’s forces. He attained the rank of lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery. He saw active service for sorne months, in Flanders, and was invalided to England suffering from shell shock. He eventually returned to duty, but subsequently contracted pneumonia, and died on November 18 at the Military Hospital, Catterick, in Yorkshire.

Lieutenant Cohen was an old Grammar School Boy. After a brilliant pass in the "senior" of 1906 he took the arts course at the University, graduating in 1910. He then read for the Bar, and was admitted in 1913. In practice he was most popular with both branches of his profession. In sport he devoted most of his energies to hockey, and was a prominent player with both the Sydneian and the University elevens during tho pioneer period of the game in New South Wales.  

Lieutenant Cecil Hope Cohen is remembered on the Commemorative Roll Book, located in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra. The Commemorative Roll records the names of those Australians who died during or as a result of wars in which Australians served, but who were not serving in the Australian Armed Forces and therefore not eligible for inclusion on the Roll of Honour.

(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)

https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/jewish-cemetery.html