Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Corporal A. Cook, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers - wounded in action, battle of Gazala, 27 May 1942

1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals, these unnamed; Imperial Service Medal, E.II.R., 2nd issue (Albert Cook) this in Spink, London case of issue; with Royal Life Saving Society Bronze Medal, reverse inscribed, ‘A. Cook, July 1936’, in case of issue; Swimming Medal, bronze, reverse inscribed, ‘Tiverton Swimming Club, A. Cook, 1934’; together with two R.E.M.E. and one R.A.O.C. cap badges, medals extremely fine (10) £100-140

I.S.M. London Gazette 1 March 1977. ‘Cook, Albert, lately Mechanic (A), South Western Postal Headquarters.’

Albert Cook was born in Tiverton, Devon on 10 January 1917. A Motor Mechanic by occupation, he enlisted into the Royal Army Ordnance Corps on 15 February 1940. On 1 October 1942 he was transferred to the newly formed Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. His first posting was to the 9th Battalion K.R.R.C.(T.A.) where he was a member of the R.A.O.C. L.A.D.; he then went on to serve with 24 A.A. Workshop Company and then onto 307 Lines of Communication Workshop - these based in North Africa. On 27 May 1942 he was wounded in action in the Retima Box during the battle of Gazala. He was discharged to the reserves on 30 May 1946. After the war he was employed by the G.P.O. from whence he retired in 1969 and was awarded the I.S.M. in 1977.

W.W.2 medals in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mr A. Cook, 22 Barewell Road, Torquay, Devon’; together with original Soldier’s Service and Pay Book; Soldier’s Release Book; Certificate of Transfer to the Army Reserve; Record of Service Card; I.S.M. bestowal document; Post Office Engineering Union contribution card; and annual pay review slip. Together with copied research.