Current Information:

Age-19

20, Boyton Road, Hornsey

On 18th December, 1914, the 4th Middlesex battalion of 8 Brigade, 3rd Division, moved into water-logged trenches to the east of Kemmel in Belgium where they remained until relieved on 21st December. The battalion diary entry for 20th December simply reads, “Nothing happened on our front”, not a sentiment that would have been shared by Charles Cook who was killed on that day, The attrition rate among British soldiers on the Western Front was on average 300 each day and 60% of these were as a result of shellfire. When not involved in an actual battle it was either shell fire or a sniper’s bullet that caused most deaths and injuries.