8/965 Private William Affleck (10/6/1889-14/9/1916) and 29914 Rifleman John Young (15/2/1882-30/8/1918) Cook. "the affairs of Wyndham"

PRIVATE W. A. COOK. 

Private William Affleck Cook, killed in action in France on 14th September, is the son of the late J. Y. and M. J. Cook, of Wyndham. Private Cook was born at Mokoreta and educated at the Mokoreta and Mimihau Schools. He enlisted in the Main Body and fought at Gallipoli, where he was wounded and sent to England. There he was for seven months under medical treatment, and went into camp again in December. In due course he went with the troops to France where he fell on the field of battle as stated. Private W. A. Cook and Private T. M. Cook, who was wounded in action on 15th September, were twin brothers.   -Southland Times, 7/10/1916.

William Cook embarked for the Gallipoli peninsula on April 12, 1915.  About a month later he was in a hospital on Malta, recovering from a bullet wound in his foot.  Recovering, he rejoined the Otago Infantry Regiment and was killed, unusually, the day before his unit went into action in the Battle of the Somme.  Perhaps he was killed by shell or sniper fire, from an enemy who knew something was being prepared for them. Perhaps he was part of a nocturnal reconaissance party.  His Army record contains the words: "Reported killed between High Wood and Delville Wood. All signs obliterated by shell fire." William Cook has no known grave.

Rifleman John Young Cook, who went into camp with the 18th Reinforcements in 1915, was killed in action on August 30. Rifleman Cook was born at Palmerston South, and was educated at the Mokoreta school. He took a lively interest in the affairs of Wyndham, in which district he was a farmer, and was for a period secretary of the Wyndham branch of the Farmers’ Union. He was also a director and chairman, for a term, of the Wyndham Dairy Factory Company. He was a keen member of the Murihiku Mounted Rifles, and belonged to the Foresters’ Lodge and to the A. and P. Society at Wyndham. Rifleman Cook was a brother of D. Cook, East Gore, and another brother, Private Wm. Cook, was killed two years ago.  -Mataura Ensign, 19/9/1918.

John Cook was killed while attacking German positions near Fremicourt, France, and is buried in the local cemetery.

Balclutha Cemetery.