Pte William John COOK
1883-1970
11th Battalion Border Regiment (The Lonsdales) B Company [The Lonsdale Pals]
Unfortunately it looks as if William’s war records were amongst the 60% that were destroyed by the bombing of London in WW2, so we don’t have his full details. We do however have his medal roll index card which shows he was awarded the
British War Medal, The Victory Medal and the 1915 Star.
The Lonsdales were involved on the front from November 1915.
Private WILLIAM JOHN COOK
1883 - 1970
HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE
EVIL TO HIM WHO EVIL THINKS
11TH BATTALION, THE BORDER REGIMENT (THE LONSDALES)
11th (Lonsdale) Battalion, The Border Regiment was raised in Penrith, Carlisle, Kendal and Workington on 17 September 1914 by the Earl of Lonsdale and an Executive Committee. They trained at Carlisle Racecourse. In May 1915 they moved to Prees Heath and joined 97th Brigade in 32nd Division. In June 1915 they moved to Wensleydale and then to Fovant in August. The Battalion was adopted by the War Office on the 27th of August 1915.
By November 1915 the Lonsdales had been in continuous training for well over a year & had firmly established themselves in many skills and tactics needed for trench warfare. They boarded the Princess Victoria at Folkestone for their 8 hour voyage & landed at Boulogne on the 23rd of November 1915. 31 Officers, 2 Warrant Officers and 995 other ranks.
Once landed they moved to Longpre by train & then marched the remaining distance to Albert, a small town on the Western Front, which along with the surrounding area, including trenches, became their home for many months.
By 24th June 1916, the Lonsdales, amongst many others, were preparing for the Somme Offensive. The bombardment had started and continued until July 1st. On this day, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, the 32nd Division, which included the 1st Dorsets and the 11th (Lonsdale) Battalion of the Border Regt attacked the German line and stormed the Leipzig Salient, but were compelled to retire later in the day. History tells us the bombardment did not have the expected result on the German lines and the brave men of the British Army, the Lonsdales amongst them, walked straight into machine gun fire from the Germans in well prepared ,well wired trenches. It was a slaughter to which they stood little chance of survival. The Lonsdale battallion suffered 516 casualties on this opening day of the Battle of the Somme. The Battle of the Somme officially ended on the 17th November 1916. Fighting continued for The Lonsdales throughout 1916 & into 1917 involving operations on the Ancre and the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line in 1917. In early 1918 they were in action on The Somme.
On the 10th of May 1918 the Battalion was reduced to cadre strength, with surplus men being transferred to 1/5th Bn. On the 13 May the remainder of the Battalion transferred to the 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division and on the 31st of July 1918 the 11th Battalion was absorbed by 1/5th Bn.; The Lonsdales were no more.
LONSDALE CEMETERY, AUTHUILLE
Location Information: Authuille is a village 5 kilometres north of the town of Albert on the D151 road to Grandcourt. The Cemetery (signposted in the centre of Authille) is 1 kilometre east of the village.
Historical Information: On 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, the 32nd Division, which included the 1st Dorsets and the 11th (Lonsdale) Battalion of the Border Regt attacked the German line at this point and stormed the Leipzig Salient, but were compelled to retire later in the day. In the spring of 1917, after the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line, V Corps cleared these battlefields and made a number of new cemeteries, including Lonsdale No.1 and No.2
