Current Information:

Age-19

5, Station Road, Harlesden

On 2nd February, 1915, the 12th London battalion joined 84 Brigade, 28th Division and six days later they found themselves in Ypres providing carrying parties, taking supplies and rations to the front line. On 12th and 13th February they had their first experience of the front line trenches before being relieved and moving back to Ouderdom on 15th February.

The enemy often seemed to know when an inter-battalion relief was taking place in the front line opposite them and then did as much as they could to disrupt it. This meant targeting the approach communication trenches with their artillery and keeping up a high level of machine-gun and rifle fire. Reliefs therefore were times of extra danger and many a soldier was killed or wounded during them. This was likely to have been the fate of Bernard Cook.