Page 10 - Wish Stream Year of 2013 Digital Edition

CHARLES COOK d. 1981
Cook was the original owner of the hockey
team photograph. He was born in India like his

parents and grandparents, and attended Ton-
bridge School. After Sandhurst, he joined the
Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry and served as
machine gun oficer. The Regimental History

dismisses the three months from October to
December 1915 as being ‘without incident of
more than ordinary interest’, but Cook was seriously injured and
his right leg was amputated. After convalescence he served in
several DCLI reserve battalions in England before becoming a

Balloon Observer with the Royal Flying Corps. This was highly
dangerous as the balloons were illed with lammable gas, and
many were shot down. Observers were issued with primitive Wimberley in World War Two (copyright reserved: private collection)
parachutes, but their death rate was very high. Cook was dis-

charged from service in 1919. He played a leading role in the We changed our clothes and uniforms at least six times a day,
establishment and organisation of the Hampshire Home Guard
always at top speed. Any spare time I ever had, I lay on my bed
just resting for what was coming next. Finally the great day of during the Second World
War.
our passing-out came. We all paraded in what was ribaldly called

‘Christmas Tree’ Order of Dress. We wore Sam Brown belts, to
which were attached a medley of articles: revolvers in holsters
with ammunition pouches, compasses, electric torches, haver-
sacks, and of course, swords. On other straps were map cases,

rolled greatcoats, mess tins containing iron rations, and water
bottles. It was very soon all to be discarded for proper equipment,
as worn by the soldiers, modiied for oficers’ use.”

Wimberley joined the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders and

served throughout the war, winning the Military Cross at the Battle
of Cambrai in 1917 as a Company Commander in the Machine
Gun Corps with the 51st Highland Division. He later served in
Russia, Ireland and India. He was commanding 1st Camerons at

the start of the Second World War, but was quickly promoted to
command the Highland Division in North Africa and Sicily before
becoming the Director of Infantry.

The research summarised above represents indings since May Cook at Tonbridge School, 1913 (copyright F. M. Hurd) Map used by Cook in the trenches (private collection)
2013, and some of the cadets remain shadowy igures. If any read-
ers have further knowledge, please email me via the RMA Sanshurst.
DOUGLAS WIMBERLEY d. 1983

Acknowledgements
We know more about Wimberley than any other
I am most grateful to Dr Anthony Morton, Curator of the RMAS member of the hockey team because he wrote
Collection, for so enthusiastically embracing the idea of the Hockey a lively and informative unpublished autobiogra-
Team project, and to Sebastian Puncher for commissioning this arti- phy. His parents were absent in India for much
cle. Particular gratitude is owed to Jasper Copping and The Sunday of his childhood, and he was brought up by his

Telegraph for their continuing support in publicising the project. I am grandparents in Scotland. “My mother and all
most grateful for help received from the National Archives, the Brit- my four grandparents were born in India, and
ish Library, and the fantastic staff of the Imperial War Museum; John my great-grandparents were as well.” He had
Lowles and the Mercian Museum (Worcestershire); Claire Morgan- a very happy childhood, and life at Wellington College came as a

Jones and Hereford Cathedral School; David Hilder; Hendrik Deleu shock. “Everything else I have encountered through life has been
and Ypres Ballooning; Hugo White and Cornwalls Regimental easier than was my boyhood between thirteen and eighteen.”
Museum; Tony Martin-Jones; Ruth Fletcher; Beverley Matthews
and Tonbridge School; Jacobs & Hunt Auctioneers of Petersield, He enjoyed Sandhurst, despite the frenetic pace. “Long before

Hampshire; Jeremy Crang; Kate Vigurs and Ed Spiers of the School it was light we were doing recruits’ arms drill. Long after it was
of History, University of Leeds; Keith Bichard and Elizabeth College, dark we were locked in our rooms mugging up for the morrow.
Guernsey; Tony Goddard and Cumbria’s Military Museum; David
Davison; Michael Lee; the Reverend Geoffrey Eales, Michelle Cardi

and the parish of Kewstoke; Professor Brenda Yeoh of the National
University of Singapore; the Scottish Military Research Group; the
National Hockey Museum; Paul Rogers and the Hereford Times;
Hannah Beech and Clare College, Cambridge; Amy Jones and the
Western Telegraph; Bill Price; Llandovery College; Jenny Harrison;

Ian Hook and the Essex Regiment Museum; the British War Graves
project. I am grateful to my family for their support, particularly to
Zoe Hurd for help in transcribing documents.

My most profound thanks go to the relatives of three Hockey
Team members. Without them this project would probably have
ground to a halt. They are Admiral Sir Michael Layard (Stanlie
Layard’s nephew); General Douglas Wimberley’s family; and

Miranda Michels (grand-niece of Tom Wilmot).
Douglas Wimberley with his grandparents Wimberley in World War
(copyright reserved: private collection)
One (copyright reserved: private collection)

8 SANDHURST