{"id":2227,"date":"2015-04-02T14:03:01","date_gmt":"2015-04-02T14:03:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kildare.ie\/ehistory\/?p=2227"},"modified":"2015-04-02T14:03:01","modified_gmt":"2015-04-02T14:03:01","slug":"sergeant-cooke-receives-decoration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/sergeant-cooke-receives-decoration\/","title":{"rendered":"SERGEANT COOKE RECEIVES DECORATION"},"content":{"rendered":"

LEINSTER LEADER<\/em> 19 JUNE 1915<\/b><\/p>\n

D.C.M. FOR DUBLIN FUSILIER.<\/strong><\/p>\n

INTERESTING\u00a0 MILITARY\u00a0 FUNCTION AT\u00a0 NAAS\u00a0 DEPOT.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 SERGEANT\u00a0 COOKE\u00a0 RECEIVES DECORATION.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0SOME OF HIS EXPLOITS. INTERVIEW\u00a0 WITH\u00a0 \u00a0RECIPIENT.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

A very pleasing ceremony took place at the Depot of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers in Naas\u00a0 on Tuesday last when Sergeant W. Cooke of that regiment,\u00a0 whose gallant exploits on the field of battle have already been the subject of many Press Notices, was decorated by Col.\u00a0 Briggs, Commanding Officer, with the Distinguished Conduct Medal and ribbon which has been awarded to him for gallant conduct.\u00a0 The full\u00a0 Depot\u00a0 force was\u00a0 on parade on\u00a0 the barrack square for\u00a0 the ceremony.\u00a0 The\u00a0 official communication notifying the award having been read as follows :— No.\u00a0 8672.\u00a0 Sergeant\u00a0 W.\u00a0 Cooke, 2nd Battalion of the Royal\u00a0\u00a0 Dublin \u00a0Fusiliers, has been awarded the\u00a0 Distinguished\u00a0 Conduct\u00a0Medal for the following act of gallantry —-\u00a0 For great coolness during the engagement of April 25th and the following eight days east of Ypres\u00a0 patrolling every night up to the German lines.\u00a0 From the top of a farm-house he killed some ten Germans and then went out and took their leader, a German Officer, prisoner. Col.\u00a0 Briggs, \u00a0Commanding\u00a0 Officer R.D.F\u00a0 Depot\u00a0 Force,\u00a0 addressing those present, said that it gave him great pleasure to bestow upon Sergeant Cooke the\u00a0 decoration\u00a0 which he\u00a0\u00a0 had earned by his\u00a0 distinguished conduct on the battlefield.\u00a0 The regiment was proud of him and proud of the manner in which he had upheld the traditional\u00a0 bravery of\u00a0 the Royal Dublin Fusiliers\u00a0 as\u00a0 gallantly and as bravely as Sergeant\u00a0 Cooke had done.\u00a0\u00a0 Amidst loud cheers\u00a0 Colonel\u00a0 Briggs pinned the\u00a0 Distinguished\u00a0Conduct\u00a0 Medal on Sergeant\u00a0 Cooke\u2019s breast, and shaking hands with him once more congratulated him upon the recognition of his gallant conduct.<\/p>\n

INTERVIEW\u00a0 WITH\u00a0 SERGEANT\u00a0 COOKE,\u00a0 D.C.M.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Subsequently our Reporter had the pleasure of an interview with Sergeant\u00a0 Cooke.\u00a0\u00a0 A man of very modest demeanour.\u00a0 He at first showed great reluctance\u00a0\u00a0 to speak of the gallant\u00a0 act\u00a0 which\u00a0 had merited royal recognition. Our\u00a0 representative, however, having pointed out to him the fact that the honour was one in which\u00a0 quite\u00a0 apart from his own\u00a0 personal feelings, the whole regiment\u00a0 had more or less a share and that they would be glad to see the gallantry of one of the regiment recorded in the public Press.<\/p>\n

Sergeant Cooke at last consented\u00a0\u00a0 to\u00a0 speak of his\u00a0 exploits.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cFor obvious reasons\u00a0 however,\u201d\u00a0 he said, \u201cI\u00a0\u00a0 cannot give you a detailed account of our actions from day to day , but if you wish\u00a0 I will tell you of the principal events\u00a0 which occurred during my time at the front.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having expressed willingness to hear of the events which he considered of importance Sergeant Cooke continued —\u201cYou know I am a Co. Kildare man.\u00a0\u00a0 I was \u00a0born at Kilcullen where my home is at Sunnyhills. I was after serving\u00a0 eight years in the\u00a0 \u201cDubs\u201d\u00a0 and was on the reserve when I was called up for active on the 5th August last on the outbreak of the war.\u00a0\u00a0 I proceeded to the Depot here and\u00a0\u00a0 went from that\u00a0\u00a0 to Gravesend on the 6th. It was from Gravesend we went to France where we landed at Boulogne on the 22nd\u00a0 August.<\/p>\n

There we stayed for a night before advancing to the firing line.\u00a0 We got close to the German lines on the 24th, but were not under fire\u00a0 until the following\u00a0\u00a0 day when we were under a light shell\u00a0 fire.<\/p>\n

On the 26th the second Battalion of the \u201cDubs.\u201d\u00a0 My regiment, met the Germans for the first time in a straight fight.\u00a0\u00a0 The battle started early in the morning and we were at it all day.\u00a0 Shot and shell fell continuously\u00a0 for, remember,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 this was in the early stages of the \u00a0war \u00a0and we were meeting the full force of the German troops fresh from the reserve and with all the\u00a0\u00a0 much fixed of\u00a0 German heavy guns with their artillery.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The \u201cDublins\u201d\u00a0 however, struck in the trenches and fought it out all through the long \u00a0day and in the evening when the order came to \u201cfall back\u201d (for not a man of us moved till then) our losses were terrible but the German losses must have been appalling for they advanced in close formation and our guns simply moved them down.\u00a0\u00a0 They hurled fresh troops \u00a0up,\u00a0 however, to fill the gaps and endeavoured to bear us down by weigh of numbers, but we held them off throughout the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cIt must have been a fierce engagement,\u201d our representative remarked.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWell,\u201d replied Sergeant Cooke, \u201cwords fail to describe it.\u00a0\u00a0 You will understand in a way, however, what it was like when I tell you that we went into action 102 strong and when we came out of action that\u00a0 that evening there were ONLY 27 OF US LEFT, including officers. Amongst the latter were Capt. Clarke and Capt.\u00a0\u00a0 Tregoana. Capt.\u00a0 Clarke has since been wounded.<\/p>\n

On the 26th I was on duty at an observation post together with some chaps from the Seaforth Highlanders and others from the Warwickshire regiment.\u00a0 From our post I observed that the German guns were shelling a field hospital and I sent back word not to send any more wounded here. I sent the message by one of the\u00a0\u00a0 Warwicks, but\u00a0 it\u00a0 never reached our lines and I heard no more of the poor chap.\u00a0 He must have been killed.<\/p>\n

After this the Germans must have located the whereabouts of\u00a0 the\u00a0 observation post\u00a0 for the shells began to fall continuously around the building in which we\u00a0 were so that we had to endure some\u00a0 heavy losses.\u00a0 However, I was able to\u00a0\u00a0 send back word that the Germans were advancing in force on the right flank to the Captain.\u00a0\u00a0 I held on to the post with 22 men until the staff officer came\u00a0 along and ordered us to retire at once as\u00a0 we were almost cut off from the main body.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYou\u00a0 went out to the front as\u00a0 a private,\u201d\u00a0 our representative asked.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYes,\u201d answered the Sergeant, \u201cI got my promotion on the field. Capt.\u00a0 Campbell gave me my Lance stripe in action on 15th September for proficiency in reconnoitring and so on.\u00a0\u00a0 At St. Ives l was recommended for the second time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhat were the particular acts for which you were recommended?\u201d our\u00a0 representative asked.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWell, I really did no more than l had been doing all along.\u00a0\u00a0 The recommendation was really the result of mu conduct from day to day but \u2014 well, yes, there was one incident which occurred at St. Ives on which my officer congratulated me.<\/p>\n

You must understand, Sergeant Cooke explained the German occupied an \u201cL\u201d shaped trench, the short side of which was parallel to our trenches.\u00a0 l went out at night reconnoitring the trench opposite us and it was then that l discovered the long trench running back at\u00a0 right angles,\u00a0 l returned to our lines and made a\u00a0 report to Capt.\u00a0\u00a0 Franckland,\u00a0\u00a0 T.C.H.\u00a0 (who was since killed at the Dardanelles after being sent three on promotion to Major)\u00a0 and l then started out\u00a0 reconnoitring the long trench. l had advanced past the cross trench and was on the point of returning, having seen all l wanted, when an observation party\u00a0 of Germans left their trenches and l found that my way back was barred by them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I had my rifle with me and about 50 rounds of ammunition so l lay there and waited until the next flare shell went up which would show them to me.\u00a0 When it did l did immediately began to pour rifle fire into them as fast as l could.\u00a0 They were completely taken by surprise and l had knocked out a lot of them when at about the 25th<\/sup> shot my rifle jammed.\u00a0 I then jumped up and charged them with the bayonet at the same time shouting \u201cCome on the \u201cDubs.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Come on boys\u2014we have them now.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 They got the impression that l had a force of men at my back and what was left of them cleared back to the trench so that l got back to our lines all right where l got a\u00a0\u00a0 great welcome from all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u201cWhat about your famous fight with the Germans for a farm-house?\u201d our representative asked, \u201cthat is what the public are anxious to hear about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cOh, that was at St. Julian,\u201d Sergeant Cooke said, \u201cWe were in a heavy action there and l had brought in several wounded Germans and I captured another German on the might of the 25th.<\/p>\n

We were in the trenches and l saw that the enemy were sending down gas on us, l could see it as an immense yellow cloud nearly twenty feet high rolling towards the trenches, l said to the officer that they would attack us under the cover of the gas so l crept out and got to the farm for the purpose of watching their movements. There l got on the roof and l saw the Germans advancing. A file of them came up the lane towards the farm.\u00a0 I opened fire on them from the roof, taking the man farthest away first and l succeeded in bagging the lot.<\/p>\n

Then they came on in force, but l saw them coming\u00a0\u00a0 so l got\u00a0\u00a0 a young chap named Maloney to get a machine gun into the lower part of the house. I remained on the roof directing the fire and when they came on again we simply moved them down.\u00a0 \u00a0When l left the roof, l observed a German officer behind the ditch not far off.\u00a0\u00a0 I advanced upon him with my rifle presented and took him by surprise.\u00a0\u00a0 He surrendered and l brought him back to the lines. Continuing\u00a0 Sergeant Cooke, said that he was wounded in action on the 19th of May by a bullet wound in the side of the head.\u00a0\u00a0 He was also suffering from gas poisoning at the time but had declined to go into\u00a0\u00a0 hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhen do you expect to go out again?\u00a0 Our representative asked.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI am leaving here on Monday next,\u201d was the reply. \u201cand l hope to get\u00a0 out soon. I have two brothers at the front —one in the Irish Guards, John, and another, Robert, in the 13th Hussars and also several other relatives. I an anxious to be out soon again and doing my little bit for the honour of the \u201cDublins.\u201d If l am to be killed l hope to die like an Irishman and a soldier.<\/p>\n

Our readers will join in hoping for the safe return of this gallant Kildare man whose bravery has added lustre to the laurels\u00a0 of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers.<\/p>\n

Re-typed by Hannah Mustapha<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LEINSTER LEADER 19 JUNE 1915 D.C.M. FOR DUBLIN FUSILIER. INTERESTING\u00a0 MILITARY\u00a0 FUNCTION AT\u00a0 NAAS\u00a0 DEPOT. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 SERGEANT\u00a0 COOKE\u00a0 RECEIVES DECORATION. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0SOME OF HIS EXPLOITS. INTERVIEW\u00a0 WITH\u00a0 \u00a0RECIPIENT.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A very pleasing ceremony took place at the Depot of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers in Naas\u00a0 on Tuesday last when Sergeant W. Cooke of that regiment,\u00a0 whose gallant […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2227","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-newspaper-articles"],"blocksy_meta":[],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Kildare Local Studies","author_link":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/author\/localstudies\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2227","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2227"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2227\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2227"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2227"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}