Donald Walter Cook 15th Btn London Regt

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I am trying to pick through the bones of another house clearance purchase. I have spent a weekend plugging away at this and now need the help of forum members with access to Ancestry to check a few basic facts for me please.

Donald Walter Cook seems to have been a draughtsman prior to the Great War and a member of the 1/15th (County of London) battalion London Regt. (Prince of Wales's Own Civil Service Rifles). The first photograph shows Donald as a draughtsman in a photograph dated 1913.

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The next few pictures show Donald in his 15th London uniform and include a postcard sent to his sweetheart, Kathleen Gertrude Mary Liddington, from St Albans on the 20th October 1914. The post card mentions Harold; who was Harold? The garden gate picture seems to have been taken outside, 125 Boundaries Road, Balham, London SE.

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This next picture appears to have been taken in the back garden of 125 Boundaries Road, Balham and shows a distinctive man wearing a Silver War Badge standing next to an unknown officer. The SWB man appears again later and I would like to try and work out who he is.

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Then something quite unexpected happens: Donald Walter Cook does not go overseas with the 1/15th London Regt but joins the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on 25th January 1915 for the duration of hostitilies. Serving on HMS President with the service Number A.A. 1248. His date of birth is listed as 25th January 1894 and his occupation is given as draughtsman. On the 18th November 1915 he has risen to the rank of Chief Petty Officer and serves until the 25th March 1916 when he is discharged to shore.

In this photograph taken in his Petty Officer's uniform he has the letters RNAS AAC on his collar.

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The next photograph shows Donald's wedding to Kathleen Gertrude Mary Kiddington, date unknown to me but possibly 1917. You will note that Donald is out of uniform but has a 15th Btn London Regt cap badge on his lapel. His best man is our old friend with the silver war badge. Is he a brother of Kathleen Liddington or a pal of Donald Cook's? Is he an ex 15th Btn London Regiment man?

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We now jump forward to November 1918 and this photograph is captioned, Sopwith Aviation Co Ltd, Kingston-works inspection staff, Nov/1918.

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In the second row third from left is Donald Walter Cook still wearing his 15th Btn London Regt cap badge in his lapel.

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I would like to know the family members of both the Cook and Liddington households if possible.

I know that Donald Walter Cook's father was called Thomas Henry Cook but I know nothing about other family members.

I know that Francis John Liddington and his wife Kate Margaret Liddington had at least two daughters, Kathleen and Doris and possibly a son, Arthur Charles Kingsley Liddington who served with the Guards Machine Gun Regiment and the 9th Btn London Regt.

I would like to know when Donald Cook got married and anything about his service with the 15th Btn London Regt if possible.

I look forward to developments as there is a huge story concerning Donald's son John that I haven't yet revealed.

Thank you for your help.

Simon

[johnny_doyle]

there is a pension record for Donald Walter Cook showing him being discharged late 1914 from 15th London's as medically unfit - heart defect. Discharge approved 31st Dec 1914. Enlisted 30th March 1914 aged 25years 3months, a draughtsman. There's a note in a corner which I think reads Baptist. Birth parish Walthamstow.

Address 52 Victoria St, SW. Father is listed as T H Cook.

Service no 1870.

1901 census

Name: Donald W Cook

Age: 12

Estimated birth year: abt 1889

Relation: Son

Father's Name: Thomas H

Mother's Name: Maud

Gender: Male

Where born: Walthamstow, Essex, England

Civil parish: Lee

Ecclesiastical parish: Holy Trinity

County/Island: London

Country: England

[johnny_doyle]

Donald appears to have has 2 brothers : Ernest A Cook b 1888 London City (Southwark 1891 census) and Philip W b 1892 London City. Thomas is show as a Licensed Victualler (Pub) in the 1901 census aged 40 born London City (Southwark); Maud is shown as 37 in 1901 from Mile End. There is a sister Laura Williamson aged 41 and single staying with them as well as a niece Phylis Mummery aged 7 from Walthamstow. 2 male servants and 3 barmaids. In 1891 Thomas is a Restaurant Keeper with one servant.

Marriage record a for a Donald W Cook to a Liddington in quarter 2 1918 in Wandsworth Surry. There's a 1928 death record for a Donald W Cook aged 39 in Chertsey Surrey.

[johnny_doyle]

marriage banns for a Kahleen Gertrude Liddington to Donald W Cook.

Name: Kathleen G M Liddington

Age: 2

Estimated birth year: abt 1899

Relation: Daughter

Father's Name: Francis J (age 37 a grocer born Hemel Hempstead)

Mother's Name: Kate M (age 29 born Sandy, Bedfordshire)

Gender: Female

Where born: Wandsworth, London, England

Civil parish: Wandsworth

Ecclesiastical parish: St Andrew

County/Island: London

Country: England

also in house :

Arthur C K Liddington age 7

Doris A age 4

Florence A Carter sister in law from Sandy in Bedfordshire

Percy Carter brother in law from Sandy in Bedfordshire

2 family trees with Kathleen Liddington. Mother Kate/Kathleen Margaret Carter. No info re husband nor children listed.

[johnny_doyle]

so far can only find 2 births for a Cook where the mother's maiden name is Liddington :

Gilbert C S Cook Q4 1919 Wallingford

Mary D Cook Q4 1920 Kingston

Arthur C K Liddington medal card shows 391949 2/9 Lodnon Regt and 1981 Guards MG R. BWM and VM. 20 pages of pension record. 125 Boundaries Road, Balham given as the address; a warehouseman. CofE. Attested 15th June 1915.

[johnny_doyle]

Gilbert Charles S Cook born 16th October 1919 died Towcester April 1991. Nothing found to confirm if he was the son of Donald and Kathleen Cook.

One definite son was killed in WW2 and is buried in Arlington, USA :

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...asualty=1814266

Can't find his birth registration.

His plane was found Queensland, Australia in 1994 :

http://www.aerothentic.com/historical/miss...utifulbetsy.htm

Death registration for Kathleen :

Name: Kathleen Gertrude M Cook

Birth Date: 15 Sep 1898

Death Registration Month/Year: 1981

Registration district: Surrey Mid Eastern

Inferred County: Surrey

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Johnny,

many many thanks for checking all these facts for me. I have just returned from our allotment and I am absolutely delighted with what you have discovered. I am very pleased to hear that there are pension papers for both Donald Walter Cook and Arthur Charles K Liddington. I am saddened to hear that Donald died in 1928 but I guess that his heart defect may have played a part in his early death. The enclosed photograph is of Doris Liddington and (I presume) her brother Arthur C K Liddington; he appears to be wearing a 9th Btn London Regt cap badge. This photograph must have been taken after 15th June 1916. The second photograph was probably taken at the same time and appears to show more members of the Liddington family.

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2

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Francis John Liddington was a founder member of the Wandsworth Rifle club and appears to have had political ambitions as he stood for the local council.

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I was aware of the death of Donald's son, John in an air crash in 1945. John was a spitfire pilot with 548 Squadron, RAF. He was killed as a passenger in a USAAF Liberator and was originally commemorated on the Singapore Memorial to the Missing. In 1994 his aircraft was discovered in Australia and the remains of the crew were laid to rest in the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington. There are a great many photographs and documents relating to him in the epemera that I bought from the clearance.

[renny]

one of the chaps I have been researching, Donald Herbert Cook, joined the Prince of Wales Own Civil Service Rifles when he left school sometime in 1917. He was transferred to the Machine Gun Corps on 14th April 1918 - bit of a coincidence !

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QUOTE (high wood @ May 31 2010, 09:47 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The next photograph shows Donald's wedding to Kathleen Gertrude Mary Kiddington, date unknown to me but possibly 1917. You will note that Donald is out of uniform but has a 15th Btn London Regt cap badge on his lapel. His best man is our old friend with the silver war badge. Is he a brother of Kathleen Liddington or a pal of Donald Cook's? Is he an ex 15th Btn London Regiment man?

I am still sorting through the mass of documents and paperwork and have now unearthed a photo of "SWB man's" * wedding. It appears that he married Donald Walter Cook's sister in law, Doris Anne Liddington which might explain why he appears in so many of the liddington family photographs.

Could someone please check the marriage indexes (indices?) to see who Doris Anne Liddington married? I am keen to find out if he was a 15th Btn London Regt man.

* See posts 3 & 5.

[westkent78]

She married Eric Ernest Berry in Dec Qtr 1926. Wandsworth 1d 1087.

He was 3011 / 390681 1/9th London. Entered F&F 17/8/15. Discharged KR 392 (XVI) 3.11.17.

He was wounded 1st July 1916 with GSWs to right thigh and left foot. His pension papers are on Ancestry.

Sounds like you have a result there.

Matthew

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Matthew,

thank you for the update and an amazing result as the service papers of three out of three of those mentioned in this thread have survived.

On a sadder note, there is confirmation of the Berry connection amongst the paperwork in the form of a black edged letter sent in July 1936 to Mrs D Cook and family which says, "Mrs Berry and family wish to express their sincere appreciation of your kind sympathy and flowers in the sad loss of their loved one. Such kindly and affectionate thoughts together with the knowledge of his swift but gentle passing, must always be a great solace to all of those who knew and loved him".

If this letter is referring to Eric Ernest Berry's death it would mean that both of the Liddington sisters lost their husbands within 10 years of their marriages and that Kathleen would go on to lose her only son in the second Great War. There are other pictures of Eric Berry that I will post in due course.

Simon

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This photograph, which must have been taken after July 1916 and before November 1917, shows from left to right, Douglas Morris Liddington (born 1904), Doris Anne Liddington, Eric Ernest Berry, (1/9th Btn London Regiment, wounded at Gommecourt 1st July 1916), Kate Margeret Liddington and Kathleen Gertrude Mary Liddington. The photograph was probably taken in the back garden of 125 Boundaries Road, Balham.