255705 Pte. Frank Harold Cook British Army 7th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment from:Painswick, Glos. Fortunately, the military pension record of Frank Cook survived the Blitz of World War Two. It is possible to put together a reasonably detailed account of his brief military career and experiences with the Gloucestershire Regiment during the Great War.
Frank Cook was born at Cranham and enlisted at Shire Hall, Gloucester on 31st of August 1914. He was 20 years old and employed as a labourer. He was posted to 7th Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment at Bristol on 5th September. 7th Gloucesters were raised in August 1914 and mostly recruited and trained in south-west England, forming part of 39th Brigade, 13th Division. Ordered to the Dardanelles, 7th Battalion, including Frank Cook, left England on 19th June 1915, and landed at Gallipoli on 11th July. Three men were wounded by sniper fire the following day. They marched to Naval Divisional Headquarters the following day, then to Geoghan's Bluff on the 15th. Another man was slightly wounded on 17th July.
The battalion was in line on the Helles front on 18th July. One man was wounded that night at Gully Ravine in the firing trenches. Four more were wounded on the 19th and another four on the 20th July. On 22nd July they were back at Geoghan's Bluff, suffering another three wounded. Another man was wounded on the 23rd, five on the 24th and two on the 24th. On 28th July they moved down to Gully Beach and embarked for Mudros, landing there the next day. They were at Lemnos on 1st August, and sailed from there to Anzac Cove on the 3rd. Together with the rest of 13th Division, 7th Battalion had landed at Anzac Cove to reinforce the Australians and New Zealanders. The battalion went into action on 8th August along the Rhododendron Spur to Chunuk Bair from which they were driven despite strong resistance by overwhelming Turkish fire with every single officer and senior non-commissioned officer being either killed or wounded and only one hundred and eighty men out of a starting strength of over a thousand being unwounded.
At the end of August 1915 the Battalion was withdrawn from the line, and the was brought back up to strength. Typically, when taking its turn in the front line, 7th Gloucesters were continually subject to sniper and shell fire, resulting in a steady trickle of casualties.
In September, 7th Gloucesters were manning the trenches at Salt Lake Lines and on 4th September 1915, Frank Cook was taken ill with dysentery, sand sent to No. 14 Casualty Clearing Station at Gallipoli. On 10th September he was sent to St George's Hospital, Malta to continue his treatment, and invalided to England aboard the Hospital Ship Dunluce Castle on 13th October. On 19th October he was back at the Regimental Depot at Horfield Barracks, Bristol and, after having undergone treatment at Bristol, was found unfit for further military service on 29th December 1915 and discharged from the army. His dysentery had cleared up, but he was found to have a heart condition, which was adjudged to have been caused by the rigours of military service and awarded a pension. He was medically examined every six months after that, the level of his pension being adjusted according to how well or otherwise he was found to be.
Frank Cook was entitled to the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Allied Victory medal.
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