Walter Randall Cook

A Sergeant with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Walter died on 24th of May 1943 aged 31. 

Walter was born at Lowestoft on 7 September 1911, a son of Harry and Rosemond Cook. He was baptised at Saint Peter’s Church, Kirkley, and his family lived at 47 Lorne Park Road. This was still their home in 1921. 

On 1 June 1936 Walter married Winifred Maud Gouldby at Saint Peter’s Church, Kirkley. Walter was an insurance agent and they both lived at Kirkley. In 1939 they lived as 9 Sefton Avenue, Wisbech, and Walter was an assurance agent for Co-operative Insurance and he was also a Special Constable. By 1943 their home was at Melrose, Boyces Lane, Wisbech. 

Walter enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve between September 1939 and February 1940. By May 1943 Walter was a Flight Engineer serving with 101 Squadron based at Holme-on-Spalding Moor. 

On 24 May 1943 Walter was a member of the crew of a Lancaster bomber, number W4919 SR-A, that was on a night-raid on Dortmund when it was shot down by a night fighter and crashed on the east bank of the River Maas near Bergen. All of the crew were killed. 

WITH THANK TO: Malcolm Barrass

With thanks to Andy Pearce