Joseph Cooke was 24 when he was killed in August 1916 on the Somme. He is buried at Lonsdale Cemetery, and his headstone reads ‘Rest In Peace From Family’. He was awarded the Victory and British medals; the absence of the 1914 or 1914-1915 Star Medals means that he was not posted abroad until 1916. 

Joseph was a Corporal in the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) at the time of his death. The Battalion had just that day relieved the 1/7th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment. The battalion war diaries state:

"Relieved the 1/7th Bn West Yorks in the line opposite THIEPVAL. The Battalion front being from THIEPVAL AVENUE to OBLONG WOOD. The relief was completed about 4pm when a heavy artillery [illegible] commenced & continued for 2 hours. Several casualties."

One of those casualties was Joseph.The CWGC listing for Joseph shows that he was the son of Alfred and Annie Lizzie Cooke, and married to Mary. The couple lived at 92 Loversall Street, Denaby Main.