Frederick Charles Cook was born in November 1897, and was the son of Mr and Mrs F. J. Cook of 3 High Town Road, Luton. His father was a tailor, and he worked with him prior to the Great War.

Cook initially enlisted as a Corporal with the 11th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment, prior to being commissioned in to the 6th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, and trained as an Observer (on probation) from November 1917. Cook was posted as Temporary Second Lieutenant, Observer for operational flying with ‘B’ Flight, 6 Squadron (R.E.8’s) in France, 21 February 1918.

He was wounded in action (spine injuries), when flying on a patrol with Second Lieutenant B. J. MacDonald, in and around Gavrelle, 30 August 1918. Their aircraft was shot down in combat, and both were originally listed as ‘Missing’, and in some cases listed as POW’s. This was later corrected, and Cook was admitted to the 5th British Red Cross Hospital at Wimereux the following month.

The following additional detail was provided by The Luton News, 16 October 1919:

‘Lieut. Frederick Charles Cook, R.A.F., died in the Empire Hospital, Victoria, London, on October 9th, 1919, as a result of wounds sustained in action over a year earlier. He was aged 21.

After being transferred from the 2nd Beds Regiment he gained a reputation in the R.A.F. as being an expert bomber and the crack shot of his squadron, responsible for ‘winging’ several German machines.

But on September 1st, 1918 [sic], during an air fight, his pilot was killed and he fell, severely wounded, in a shell-hole in No Man’s Land at 10 o’clock in the morning. A young officer, whose identity Lieut. Cook was never able to establish, crept up to him and promised to rescue him that night. Unfortunately, as his would-be rescuer left the shell-hole to return to his post, he was immediately shot by a sniper. Lieut. Cook was eventually rescued at 2 o’clock the next morning, after hours of suffering.

For some time afterwards his condition was critical, but he later became well enough to be moved to England, where he remained under hospital treatment until his death at the Empire Hospital. His coffin, draped in a Union Jack, was brought back from there to Luton, where a funeral with full military honours was held, including a firing party from Biscot Camp.’

Cook was admitted to the Empire Hospital, Vincent Square, Westminster in September 1919. He died of his wounds at the Queen Alexandria Hospital, Millbank, 9 October 1919, and was buried in Luton General Cemetery.