Wilfred Murray Cook
Rank:
Private
Serial No:
Serial No. 7776
Regiment:
13th Battalion
Suburb:
Ingleburn
Wilfred Murray Cook - Information
The Cook family settled in Ingleburn from Victoria. Wilfred was born in Swan Hill, Victoria on the 17th of May 1896. After acquiring military experience serving with the Senior Cadets, Wilfred found work as a labourer and moved to Cootamundra. Wilfred and his family then received the terrible news that Wilfred's brother, Clarence Harold, was killed in action in October 1917. His family would have been most upset when informed that Wilfred had now signed up, enlisting on the 6th of December 1917 in Cootamundra.
After volunteering, Wilfred trained as a Private at the Showground Camp in Sydney. In late February 1918, he was transferred to C Company Technical Battalion at the M & D Depot in Liverpool. Then on the 15th of March, he was again transferred to the 26th Reinforcements, 13th Battalion. His unit was shipped out from Sydney aboard the HMAT Runic on the 22nd March 1918. Arriving in London in May, he was marched out to the 12th Training Battalion. In early August, he left Folkestone for the frontlines in France. On the 18th of August, he was taken on strength to the 13th Battalion, and was immediately thrust into action. He and his mates pushed the Germans back, gaining much ground that had been objectives since 1916. The Germans were forced to withdraw, eventually signing the Armistice on November 11th. After the war ended, Wilfred contracted influenza, a pandemic that was gripping the globe. He then returned to Australia on the Euripides on the 6th of September 1919.