Lance Corporal 1370 Lionel George Cook DSC MM
Lionel Cook was born at Blackmore, Essex in 14 January 1891 as the son on small farmer William Cook and his wife Jane.
Lionel grew up to help his father to run Martins Farm, Hutton , near Brentwood.
With the onset of the war he joined the Essex Yeomanry and after training he joined the main Regiment in France on 27 March 1915.
He fought with the Yeomanry through the war and proved to be a good soldier being promoted to Lance Corporal at which rank we was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross.
DSC London Gazette 15 March 1916 - Citation
In digging out a comrade who had been buried by an enemy shell. He was in full view of the enemy at the time and was himself partly buried by other enemy shells. After carrying his comrade to a dressing station he returned to the front line, though badly shaken, and refused to leave until ordered.
He continued to excel and was promoted to Sergeant at again displayed valour for which he was awarded a Military Medal which appeared in the London gazette on 26 May 1917.
At the end of the war he was demobbed and was awarded the Victory, British war and 1915 Star medals to ad to his collection.
He returned to farm life and we next hear of him as a farm bailiff at Harts Farm, Orsett in 1939 where he remained until he died on 1 August 1955 in Hospital at St Pancras.
