Cecil born in 1893, was the son of John Cook originally from Bedfordshire and his second wife Harriett Bishop from Mountsorrel. They married in 1877 when he was 32 and she was 17. In 1881 the couple were living in Croydon with daughter May born in Leicester in 1880 and his daughter from his first marriage Lizzie aged 13.
By the 1891 census the family had moved to 219 Clarendon Park Road in Knighton, the couple went on to have nine children in total and John was working as a Midland Railway Bricklayer as was his oldest son John. Later they moved to 270 Welford Road.
Cecil was working as a Wholesale Clothier’s Clerk when he enlisted in Leicester on 15th October 1915, his Medical History states he was 6 feet tall and was physically well developed (above average).
He was posted overseas in June 1916 and later promoted on 18/02/1917. On 21/5/1917 Cecil’s records show that he remained at Duty despite being wounded. He was wounded again by Shrapnel in August 1917 and was posted to England. He was admitted to Hospital in Bristol on 15th August where he stayed until 5th February 1918. After being posted back to France he Died of Wounds on 2/9/1918 aged 24.
On the 1st October 1918 Cecil’s mother, who was his next of kin, sent a letter to the army, she wrote that she had received official notification that her son had died and requested his belonging and outstanding pay due to him together with his will as soon as possible. His personal belongings were eventually forwarded to Harriett in February 1919 and included letters, photo’s, religious book, watch and chain (damaged), wallet and teaspoon.
His paperwork shows that his body was exhumed and reburied on 20/2/1920. His final resting place is at Wancourt British Cemetery, France and his inscription reads ‘Thine For Ever God of Love’. At the time of the Armistice the cemetery contained 41 graves, but in the following years graves were brought in from various small cemeteries in the area. The cemetery now holds 1936 burials of which 829 are unidentified.
