Source: Earned the Military Medal for “Bravery in the Field” during the actions at the Somme September 1916.
Family Search: When Major Charles Cook was born on 28 March 1892, in Bridport, Dorset, England, United Kingdom, his father, William James Cook, was 41 and his mother, Emma, was 41. He had at least 3 sons and 2 daughters with Margaret Lillian Hussey. He immigrated to Canada in 1913 and lived in Windsor, Essex, Ontario, Canada in 1964. He registered for military service in 2001. In 1926, at the age of 34, his occupation is listed as sandwich parks manager in Sandwich, Essex, Ontario, Canada. He died on 19 January 1964, in London, Ontario, Canada, at the age of 71, and was buried in Saint John’s Anglican Church Cemetery, Windsor, Essex, Ontario, Canada.
Also awarded a Military Cross per London Gazette 31219 and 31583. Not able to find the citation at this time.
Built First
Town Park
Charles Cook
Dies in London
Funeral service will be held
Tuesday for Charles Cook, MC,
MM, 11, of 3229 Russell St., a
former Windsor parks manager
and former Windsor Grove
Cemetery secretary superinten-
dent. Mr. Cook died Sunday at
Westminster Hospital, London,
Ont.
Mr. Cook began his public
service in 1906 when the Sand-
wich Parks Commission was
formed. He was named super-
intendent and was given a staff
of five people in a town which
at that time had no parks.
In the years that followed,
Mr. Cook designed and super-
vised the planting of Prince
Rd. Park, the first in the
town, and Assumption Park,
near the Ambassador Bridge.
When amalgamation took
place, he became a divisional
foreman. He was named assis-
tant parks manager in Decem-
ber, 1968, and on April 1, 1947,
became the manager.
In his term as parks man-
ager, Mr. Cook supervised the
design and plantings of several
new playground parks, includ-
ing the ones on Detroit St.,
Labadie Rd., Westcott Rd.,
Norman Rd. and Kinamen
parks on Chatham St. E., Ros-
sini Blvd., and Bridge Ave.
Mr. Cook, as first vice-
president of the Optimist Club,
was one of the guiding lights
in the promotion of Optimist
Park on Memorial Dr., and the
installation there of the city’s
first outdoor artificial skating
rink.
His responsibilities during
his long term with the city
grew to the point where he
had a staff of 14 and total
parks area of more than 200
acres.
Mr. Cook became secretary-
treasurer of Windsor Grove in
1905 when his doctors advised
him to leave the more strenuous
parks department position. He
retired from Windsor Grove two
years later.
Mr. Cook had a distinguish-
ed war record. He enlisted
during the First World War in
the late Col. E.S. Wigle’s 18th
Battalion as a private. He
came home with the rank of
captain and adjutant, and was
one of the few to be decorat-
ed with both the Military
Cross and the Military Medal.
Mr. Cook returned to the
army again in the Second World
War and served as a training
officer in Windsor and London.
Mr. Cook
(Continued from Page Five)
parks department position. He
retired from Windsor Grove two
years later.
Mr. Cook had a distinguish-
ed war record. He enlisted
during the First World War in
the late Col. E. S. Wigle’s 18th
Battalion as a private. He
came home with the rank of
captain and adjutant, and was
one of the few to be decorat-
ed with both the Military
Cross and the Military Medal.
Mr. Cook returned to the
army again in the Second World
War and served as a training
officer in Windsor and London
for a time before he became
Canadian military representa-
tive in the U.S.
He was responsible for Cana-
dian troop movements through
a large part of the U.S.
Mr. Cook was a former direc-
tor of the Ontario Parks As-
sociation and Windsor Handi-
craft Guild.
He was for four years presi-
dent of the Windsor Junior
Lacrosse League and was an
honorary president of the 18th
Battalion Association.
Mr. Cook was born in Brid-
port, Dorset, Eng., moving to
Windsor from Cottam 44 years
ago.
He is survived by his widow,
Margaret, sons, Reginald, of
Montreal, Donald, of Windsor,
and Leonard, with the Royal
Canadian Navy in Halifax; a
daughter, Mrs. Charles Neilson
(Phyllis), of Windsor; a sister,
Mrs. Emma Hill, of London,
Eng.; and eight grandchildren.
A son, Harold, was reported
missing in action with the Royal
Canadian Air Force in 1942.
The funeral will be Tuesday
at 7:30 p.m. from the Anderson
Funeral Home, 895 Ouellette
Ave., Rev. Canon J. H. Whealen
officiating. Cremation will be in
the Woodmere Crematorium,
Detroit. Burial will be in St.
John’s Churchyard.
Memorial tributes may be
made to the Canadian Cancer
Society (Essex County Unit).
Windsor Star. 20 January 1964. Page 1/6.
THEY MIX WELL
There is a comaradie [sic] between the officers and men that is very marked.
The officers relate amusing incidents connected with the life of their men. On the other hand the men tell amusing stories about the pay officers of D Company.
It appears that after the armistice these officers decided to wear breeches for street walking and pooled their capital, which they found was only sufficient to purchase two pairs. Now they have a duty roster for the two pairs of breeches which permits of only two officers being dressed up at a time.
One interesting story the men tall about the fortunes of war concerns the present adjutant of the battalion, Capt. Chas. Cook.
When the war broke out Capt. Cook enlisted as a private in the 18th.
At the Somme he was promoted to lance-corporal and awarded the Military Medal.
After the battle of Arras he was given a commission and awarded the Military Cross. But between the two incidents in his fighting career he decide to prepare for the future and married a beautiful Welsh girl.
Mrs. Cook, with her two children, accompanied her husband to Canada.
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 