James William Cook was born in Grafham, Huntingdonshire in 1889 the youngest child of Charles Cook and Eliza Lumbers Holding. They had a large family and the children were: Ellen Maria, Walter, Albert Edward, Rose Hannah, Mary Victoria, Donald Frederick, Henry Sydney, Charles Robert and James William. James’ father Charles was a publican, and for many years ran the ‘New Inn’ on The Green in Brampton, Huntingdonshire where James grew up. When James left school in 1902 he first worked for his father before joining Lowe, Sons & Cobbold Ltd., a local brewery, where he was a ‘Cellarman’.

  

James married Esther Baker in Brampton on Wednesday, 24th November 1909. The young couple soon started a family and in 1910, their daughter Esther Victoria was born. She was followed by two brothers: Charles Walter in 1912 and Dudley James in 1916. James and Esther moved with their first two children to Hemel Hempstead some time after 1912 and whilst the reason for the move is not known, it was probably due to a job opportunity. On the outbreak of war, James was working as a ‘Mill Hand’ in Apsley Mills for John Dickinson & Co. Limited and the family had settled at 35 Astley Road in the town.

He was called-up for the army under the Military Service Act and attested at Watford on 7th June 1916 when he transferred to the Army Reserve. Six months later James was mobilised on the 11th December and posted to the Norfolk Regiment to undergo basic training. He was transferred to the 9th Battalion in February 1917 and a month later sent to France, where he disembarked on the 16th March. He arrived with the Battalion during the first two weeks of April and a month later he saw action in the trenches for the first time.

On the 31st July 1917, James fought in the Battle of Pilckem Ridge, the opening encounter in the Third Battle of Ypres known as Passchendaele. Battalion casualties were mercifully light and James survived the attack. By the 10th August the 9th Battalion was ordered to take part in an attack to capture ‘Inverness Copse’ off the Menin Road near Ypres.  The objective was quickly achieved and the unit dug in, but over the next two days their position was subject to persistent German counter attacks, all of which were repulsed until the Battalion was relieved. Casualties in the action were not high but James was one of two men killed on the second day of the fighting.

James died on Sunday, 12th August 1917.

He was commemorated on the John Dickinson & Co. Limited War Memorial in Apsley.

James is remembered with Honour on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, West Vlaanderen, Belgium, Panel 4.

He was 29 years old when he died.

James was eligible for the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.