Harry Hook
14th February 1894-3rd September
1916
Harry Hook was born on 14th February 1894 at West
Horsley in Surrey, the sixth of ten children born to George and Fanny Hook.
George Hook and Fanny Arthur were married in the summer of 1880 at Wonersh.
Their daughter Katherine was baptised just before the marriage also at Wonersh.
The family lived at Shamley Green for a few years and their first two sons were
born there; George in 1882 and William in 1885. In 1886 the family moved to The
Chalk Pit at West Horsley just off the main Guildford to Leatherhead Road. It
is likely that George Hook was a labourer in the chalk pit or the lime kilns
which were located here. Seven more children were born to the couple while they
were living here; Frederick in 1887, James in 1889, Annie in 1891, Harry in 1894,
Minnie in 1896, Arthur in 1899 and Sidney in 1901.
Harry was recorded on the 1911 census living at home and
working as a gardener in a market garden. He joined the 11th (Service)
Battalion, Rifle Brigade but it is not clear when. The battalion was formed in
1915 in Winchester as part of
Kitchener’s Army and was part of the 59th brigade in the 20th
(Light) Division. They trained on Blackdown then at Witley before moving in
April 1915 to Salisbury Plain. The battalion went to France in July 1915 and in
July 1916 moved from Ypres to Wormhoudt. It then moved to various locations
around the area until late August when it arrived at Meaulte near Albert to
begin preparations for the recapture of the village of Guillemont.
Guillemont was a village near Albert which was of strategic
importance. It had been held by the Germans during attacks at the end of August
and at the beginning of September, the 20th Division were tasked
with capturing it.
The war diary gives details of the action. On the 1st
September the 6th Oxford and Bucks Battalion joined the brigade thus
strengthening numbers. The plan then was to attack on the 3rd September
from positions all around the village. The 11th Rifle Brigade was
posted to the right sector. The attack was to begin from the front line
trenches and on the night of the 2nd the troops moved into position.
It was described in the diary as a “particularly quiet” night
The attack began at six in the morning of the 3rd
with the infantry, including the 20th Division, beginning their
action at noon. The action was successful and by the next day the village was
in allied hands. However, there were many casualties on both sides and
somewhere in the fighting on September 3rd, Harry Hook was killed. He
was just 22 years old.
He is buried in Guillemont Road Cemetery along with
seventy-four other allied troops killed at Guillemont that day. On the site of
the battlefield is a memorial to the 20th Division.
Sadly not many of Harry’s family lived to a good age
although his father, George, remained in West Horsley until his death at the
age of 83.
Harry’s mother mother Fanny had died in 1913 aged 55. His
sister Catherine and brother Arthur died as children and his brother Frederick
in 1924 aged 37. Neither Frederick nor his brothers James and Sidney married. William married and had four children and
Minnie married and had two.
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| Guillemont Road Cemetery |
With thanks to
www.1914-1918.invisionzone.com
www.wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/index.php
www.cwgc.org/
