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SKELTON - IN - CLEVELAND
IN HISTORY
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"WE WILL REMEMBER THEM"
4093 Private ARTHUR COOKE.
1/5th Bn, Yorkshire Regiment.
Killed in action, aged 32, on the 11th November 1916.
Born in Skelton in Cleveland. Enlisted at Saltburn by Sea..
Son of Alfred and Sarah Cooke, of 31 Cleveland St, Skelton-in-Cleveland, N Yorks.
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Thiepval Memorial.
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FAMILY:-
1901. Arthur, aged 17, was living at 31 Cleveland St, Skelton Green, N Yorks and had been born in Skelton.
He was already working down the Ironstone mine.
His Father, Alfred, aged 52, was a Milk Dealer and Grocer, born at Wymondham, Norfolk.
His Mother, Sarah, age 53, was also born in Wymondham. She had had 10 children and 8 were still living.
He had 4 brothers - John 23 and Robert 17, also miners, Alfred 12 and Theodore 9.
[His brother Robert Cooke, 1/4th Bn Yorks Regt, was killed on the 17th September 1916 in the Somme area.]
His sisters were Hannah 25 and Gertrude 18.
1911 Census. The family are still at 31 Cleveland St.
Arthur and Robert are still Ironstone miners underground.
John and Hannah work for their Father in the Milk business and Theodore is an Assistant Schoolmaster for the local Council.
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WAR SITUATION
The 1/5th Battalion were part of the 150th York & Durham Brigade, 50th [Northumbrian] Division.
The Battalion was originally the Territorials from the Scarborough area.
Arthur was not awarded the 1914/15 Star. The date when he first joined the Battalion in France in 1916 is not known.
He was killed during the Battles of the Somme, an Allied offensive which was pursued from July 1916 until
winter intervened.
The 5th Yorks were defending trenches to the NE of Martinpuich.
The War Diary for 11th Nov reads:-
"Relieved by 6th Northumberland Fus. Complete by 9.00 pm. Moved into Starfish and Prue Trenches.
4 ORs killed. 11 wounded and 1 missing."
Full details based on the War Diary can be read here.
MEMORIAL
Arthur is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial, which commemorates more than 72,000 UK and Commonwealth men, who have no known grave.
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