Enlistment Address

Coonamble NSW

Service Number

5663

Unit

13th Battalion,

Comment

Tooraweenah Kookaburra

Fate

RTA 15.6.1919

Information

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Private William George Cook was described at 5’6” tall, a 33”-35” chest expansion, fair complexion, light blue eyes, light brown hair, and a Roman Catholic. No distinctive marks noted.

After training at Bathurst, NSW he embarked on HMAT Clan McGillivray on May 3, 1916, bound for Egypt with the 13^th Battalion. After further training at Tel el Kebir in Egypt, he arrived in France in October 1916 to face a bleak winter in the trenches of the Western Front. He fell ill with mumps in January 1917 and spent a month in hospital in France. In April 1917 he was wounded in action with a gunshot wound to his legs at Bullecourt. He was sent to England for treatment and convalescence and returned to France on September 30, 1917. He was gassed a fortnight later on October 15, 1917 and rejoined the on January 1918.

In May 1918 he transferred to the 4^th Machine Gun Battalion and remained with them until he commenced his return to Australia in December 1918. His return was delayed when he was sick in hospital in England and he eventually arrived in Australia on August 3, 1919. He was discharged on September 17, 1919.

He was issued the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He is commemorated on the Gilgooma District Honour Roll.