No.17266, Private, Warren Ivan COOK
Aged 25
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Ivan Warren Cook was born in Burwell on 16th November 1890 (Newmarket Q4-1890 3B:478), baptised in St.Andrew's Chapel, Burwell on 26th February 1891, son of Robert Henry and Ada
COOK (née WARREN).
1891 census...Aged 4 months, he was at North Gate Farm, Fordham Road, Burwell with his father Robert H [31] farm labourer; his mother Ada [31]; brothers Christopher W [8] and Arthur E [6] and sister Harriet E [2]. They were all born in Burwell. 1901 census...Aged 10, he was at Ness Gate Cottages, Ness Road, Burwell with his parents (father now stockman), sister Harriet, sister Ida [8] and brother Reginald [6] (both born in Burwell) 1911 census...Aged 20, farm labourer, he was at Church Farm, Reach with his parents, sister Hephzibah Ida and brother Reginald George (farm labourer). One sibling had died. His father died in 1922. |
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He enlisted in Cambridge.
The 11th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment was often referred to as "The Cambridgeshires" despite there being an actual Cambridgeshire Regiment. This was due to the fact that the recruiting facilities at Gibraltar barracks in Bury St.Edmunds were overwhelmed by the number of eager volunteers, and a temporary camp was set up in Cambridge to share the load. This unit, taking it's men mainly from the Fens and having no official title, was quickly nicknamed "The Cambridgeshires".It soon became officially the 11th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. The 11th was one of 2 Suffolk battalions involved in the action on the 1st day of the battle of the Somme, the 8th Battalion was the other, albeit in a support role. The 11th suffered the heaviest casualties in the 34th Division. Moving out from Becourt Wood at 5 am towards their jumping off point, the giant mine at Lochnagar was exploded at 7:28 (80,000 lbs of ammonal) and two minutes later the attack began. Their line of advance was through the centre of Bailiff Wood. The enemy in La Boiselle were stronger than had been thought and the Suffolks were quickly cut down by machine gun fire. It was effectively all over for them by 8 am. All day wounded lay out looking for a chance to crawl back. Some valiant souls still tried to advance, a pitiful few reaching the German wire. Of the 188 men of the 11th Suffolk to die on 1st July 1916, 147 have no known grave, Alfred WHITMORE from Reach being another. see here
and also on the War Memorial in Burwell click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
