An Outstanding and Early
Battle of the Somme
“Battle of Fricourt”
DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL
&
“3rd Battle of Ypres”
(1st Battle of Passchendaele)
MILITARY MEDAL
With War Medal & Victory Pair (M.I.D.)
& Defence Medal. “Home Guard”
To:
Pte-Sgt H. COCKS,
52nd & 237th Machine Gun Corps.
14th Middlesex Regiment.
[PRISONER OF WAR]
Harry was captured 22nd March 1918 which was the 2nd Day of Operation Micheal, the German Spring Offensive, and was a Prisoner of War, from 22nd March to 11th November 1918.
[D.C.M. CITATION, London Gazette, 22nd September 1916]
”For conspicuous gallantry when in charge of a machine gun, which he mounted in the open, and successfully drove back and enemy attack. Later, when a large body of the enemy attacked, he maintained his fire until his gun was put out of action, when he dismounted it and got it back safely to our lines.“
[M.M. PUBLISHED, London Gazette,14th January 1918]
[THE MEDALS]
Distinguished Conduct Medal (For Battle of Fricourt)
3775 Pte H.COCKS. 52/CO: M.G.CORPS.
(officially impressed)
Military Medal (For 1st & 2nd Battle of Ypres)
3775 SGT: H.COCKS. 237/Coy. M.G.C.
(officially impressed)
War Medal & Victory Medal Pair (officially impressed)
3775. SGT. H.COCKS. M.G.C.
Defence Medal (1939-45) (Home Guard) unnamed as issued
[BIOGRAPHY] 1895-
[ 1915]
Harry Cocks was from Hockley in Essex, and he joined the army on 2nd June 1915 aged 20. He originally attested for 14th (2nd Res) Battalion Middlesex Regiment and did his initial training at Hyderabad Barracks at Colchester.
Henry was then attached to the 52nd Company of the then newly formed Machine Gun Corps at it’s inception in 1915.
[THE 52nd MACHINE GUN COMPANY]
The unit joined 17th (Northern) Division on the 12th of February 1916. In the spring of 1916 they were in action at the Bluff, south east of Ypres on the Comines Canal then moved south to The Somme seeing action during The Battle of Albert in which the Division captured Fricourt and The Battle of Delville Wood. In 1917 they moved to Arras and saw action in The First and Second Battles of the Scarpe and The Capture of Roeux. In late summer they moved to Flanders and fought in The First and Second Battles of Passchendaele. They joined with the other Machine Gun Companies of the Division to form 17th Machine Gun Battalion on the 24th of February 1918.
[ 1916]
He arrived in France at Le Havre on 9th February 1916,
and fought on the Somme and “unusually” won his DCM as a young Private at The Battle of Fricourt 1st / 2nd July 1916.
He had a very very lucky “near miss” when a German bullet passed through his Sergeants’ stripes & the folds in his shirt sleeve. It apparently left a slight burn mark on his arm which he described afterwards as, “a souvenir”.
[ 1917]
He was further decorated with the MM for his bravery at Ypres, 1st & 2nd Battles of Passchendaele, 12th October 1917.
[ 1918]
His last letter home was dated February 1918 where he mentioned that he had been recommended for a commission, but then followed many months of “nothing” !
Harry was listed as missing in action on 21st or 24th March 1918 in France, but as he confirmed in his P.O.W. memoirs, he was in fact captured on 22nd March 1918 on the 2nd Day of “Operation Michael” (The German Spring Offensive).
He and his fellow prisoners were very poorly treated, severely underfed and badly housed while being part of what can only be described as a “mobile” Prisoner of War Work Unit as he was not recorded by The International Red Cross as being at any particular prison camp.
This lack of news caused a dire and worrying situation for his family back in England. His father Mr F.G. Cocks had contacted The International Red Cross for information but was unable to get anything from them as late as 12th June 1918.
Then, a few weeks later, Mr Cocks visited the White Hart Inn at Hockley where he was excitedly informed by the landlord, Old Mark Bacon, that…..
“Harry is safe,….he is a prisoner of war in Germany !”
Apparently Mr Bacon had been allowed by the local postman, Mr Charlie Camp, to see a War Office “confidential” post card which gave the good news, so that wonderful and long awaited news met Harry’s dad at the pub before it was even officially delivered to the family house, St Clements, in Hockley.
The bad treatment of Harry and his fellow captives by the Germans went on from 22nd March to 11th November 1918 while they were being kept in grim conditions and variously marched from place to place around northern France & Belgium. They were forced into working parties engaged in clearing dead German corpses to cemeteries & moving casualties & unloading heavy ammunition shells for eight months until the German surrender on 11th November 1918.
If you study military history, you will know that it was this sheer brutality toward allied captives by the Germans in WW1 that let to the 3rd Geneva Convention and hence the tightening of international rules of behaviour in wartime, with particular emphasis on the protection & treatment of prisoners of war.
Harry was seen listed as a repatriated P.O.W. at Calais on 25th November 1918. He was transferred to the Army Reserve on 14th March 1919 at Alexandra Palace with an “A1” medical category.
He was obviously a very tough lad and had survived well.
[ ITEMS ALSO INCLUDED
]
1.
[ “EIGHT MONTHS IN GERMAN HANDS”]
-An Extraordinary Ten Page Report by Harry Cocks-
An historically important, extremely accurate & original 10 page account written by Harry Cocks himself just after his return home from German captivity. This is a very rare & highly detailed narrative which is very well written & highly geographically correct & forms a complete “day by day” account of the period from his capture on 22nd March 1918 up to 11th November 1918.
The document describes in greatly harrowing detail the shocking treatment dished out by the brutal Germans while our men were being made to do very difficult work under brutal circumstances in northern France & Belgium.
2.
Soldiers brown pay book with full wartime pay details.
3.
Protection & Identity certificate, with the original OHMS envelope, sent from, The War Office, “Wood Green” (Alexandra Palace), London. N.22, on 28th April 1921, to Harry’s home in Hockley.
4.
Certificate of transfer to army reserve.
5.
Original old typed copy of DCM citation.
6.
Machine Gun Corps 1915-1918 Certificate of membership and gratitude for service from Army Commander.
7.
Uniformed studio photo (1916) of Harry age 21 wearing his Distinguished Conduct Medal.
8.
Uniformed photo (c,1940) of Harry age c,45 in the Home Guard showing medal ribbons.
[ SUMMARY]
This is a seriously emotive and historically important group of superb quality. The medals are practically “mint state” and on original ribbons and since their issue 1916-c,1922 they have actually never been worn as a group because there are absolutely zero contact marks on the still mirror proof-like surfaces.
It’s actually incredible when one realises that these medals have remained in “as issued” condition without a single mark for over 100 years.
As we sometimes see the medals of our decorated heroes in pristine condition, it becomes obvious that Harry Cocks was quite clearly not interested in clanking around in his medals.
Like tens of thousands of his fellows he was just happy to be safely back at home after what for him had been a seriously challenging four year war. A war which had contained much fierce close combat and a harsh eight month period as a German P.O.W. while enduring forced labour under inhumane conditions.
He is seen in the Home Guard photo above…..just wearing his ribbons !
A Superb Double Gallantry & P.O.W. Group of Five with a personally written and stirring back story of extreme bravery in action & incredible endurance as a prisoner of war.
With some seldom seen and rare supporting original paperwork, photos etc, all to a greatly exceptional soldier
and ex-prisoner of war.
Completely New to Market.
A Seriously Good Group.
£3995
[THE MEDALS]
Distinguished Conduct Medal (For Battle of Fricourt)
3775 Pte H.COCKS. 52/CO: M.G.CORPS.
(officially impressed)
Military Medal (For 1st & 2nd Battle of Ypres)
3775 SGT: H.COCKS. 237/Coy. M.G.C.
(officially impressed)
War Medal & Victory Medal Pair (officially impressed)
3775. SGT. H.COCKS. M.G.C.
Defence Medal (1939-45) (Home Guard) unnamed as issued
[BIOGRAPHY] 1895-
[ 1915]
Harry Cocks was from Hockley in Essex, and he joined the army on 2nd June 1915 aged 20. He originally attested for 14th (2nd Res) Battalion Middlesex Regiment and did his initial training at Hyderabad Barracks at Colchester.
Henry was then attached to the 52nd Company of the then newly formed Machine Gun Corps at it’s inception in 1915.
[THE 52nd MACHINE GUN COMPANY]
The unit joined 17th (Northern) Division on the 12th of February 1916. In the spring of 1916 they were in action at the Bluff, south east of Ypres on the Comines Canal then moved south to The Somme seeing action during The Battle of Albert in which the Division captured Fricourt and The Battle of Delville Wood. In 1917 they moved to Arras and saw action in The First and Second Battles of the Scarpe and The Capture of Roeux. In late summer they moved to Flanders and fought in The First and Second Battles of Passchendaele. They joined with the other Machine Gun Companies of the Division to form 17th Machine Gun Battalion on the 24th of February 1918.
[ 1916]
He arrived in France at Le Havre on 9th February 1916,
and fought on the Somme and “unusually” won his DCM as a young Private at The Battle of Fricourt 1st / 2nd July 1916.
He had a very very lucky “near miss” when a German bullet passed through his Sergeants’ stripes & the folds in his shirt sleeve. It apparently left a slight burn mark on his arm which he described afterwards as, “a souvenir”.
[ 1917]
He was further decorated with the MM for his bravery at Ypres, 1st & 2nd Battles of Passchendaele, 12th October 1917.
[ 1918]
His last letter home was dated February 1918 where he mentioned that he had been recommended for a commission, but then followed many months of “nothing” !
Harry was listed as missing in action on 21st or 24th March 1918 in France, but as he confirmed in his P.O.W. memoirs, he was in fact captured on 22nd March 1918 on the 2nd Day of “Operation Michael” (The German Spring Offensive).
He and his fellow prisoners were very poorly treated, severely underfed and badly housed while being part of what can only be described as a “mobile” Prisoner of War Work Unit as he was not recorded by The International Red Cross as being at any particular prison camp.
This lack of news caused a dire and worrying situation for his family back in England. His father Mr F.G. Cocks had contacted The International Red Cross for information but was unable to get anything from them as late as 12th June 1918.
Then, a few weeks later, Mr Cocks visited the White Hart Inn at Hockley where he was excitedly informed by the landlord, Old Mark Bacon, that…..
“Harry is safe,….he is a prisoner of war in Germany !”
Apparently Mr Bacon had been allowed by the local postman, Mr Charlie Camp, to see a War Office “confidential” post card which gave the good news, so that wonderful and long awaited news met Harry’s dad at the pub before it was even officially delivered to the family house, St Clements, in Hockley.
The bad treatment of Harry and his fellow captives by the Germans went on from 22nd March to 11th November 1918 while they were being kept in grim conditions and variously marched from place to place around northern France & Belgium. They were forced into working parties engaged in clearing dead German corpses to cemeteries & moving casualties & unloading heavy ammunition shells for eight months until the German surrender on 11th November 1918.
If you study military history, you will know that it was this sheer brutality toward allied captives by the Germans in WW1 that let to the 3rd Geneva Convention and hence the tightening of international rules of behaviour in wartime, with particular emphasis on the protection & treatment of prisoners of war.
Harry was seen listed as a repatriated P.O.W. at Calais on 25th November 1918. He was transferred to the Army Reserve on 14th March 1919 at Alexandra Palace with an “A1” medical category.
He was obviously a very tough lad and had survived well.
[ ITEMS ALSO INCLUDED
]
1.
[ “EIGHT MONTHS IN GERMAN HANDS”]
-An Extraordinary Ten Page Report by Harry Cocks-
An historically important, extremely accurate & original 10 page account written by Harry Cocks himself just after his return home from German captivity. This is a very rare & highly detailed narrative which is very well written & highly geographically correct & forms a complete “day by day” account of the period from his capture on 22nd March 1918 up to 11th November 1918.
The document describes in greatly harrowing detail the shocking treatment dished out by the brutal Germans while our men were being made to do very difficult work under brutal circumstances in northern France & Belgium.
2.
Soldiers brown pay book with full wartime pay details.
3.
Protection & Identity certificate, with the original OHMS envelope, sent from, The War Office, “Wood Green” (Alexandra Palace), London. N.22, on 28th April 1921, to Harry’s home in Hockley.
4.
Certificate of transfer to army reserve.
5.
Original old typed copy of DCM citation.
6.
Machine Gun Corps 1915-1918 Certificate of membership and gratitude for service from Army Commander.
7.
Uniformed studio photo (1916) of Harry age 21 wearing his Distinguished Conduct Medal.
8.
Uniformed photo (c,1940) of Harry age c,45 in the Home Guard showing medal ribbons.
[ SUMMARY]
This is a seriously emotive and historically important group of superb quality. The medals are practically “mint state” and on original ribbons and since their issue 1916-c,1922 they have actually never been worn as a group because there are absolutely zero contact marks on the still mirror proof-like surfaces.
It’s actually incredible when one realises that these medals have remained in “as issued” condition without a single mark for over 100 years.
As we sometimes see the medals of our decorated heroes in pristine condition, it becomes obvious that Harry Cocks was quite clearly not interested in clanking around in his medals.
Like tens of thousands of his fellows he was just happy to be safely back at home after what for him had been a seriously challenging four year war. A war which had contained much fierce close combat and a harsh eight month period as a German P.O.W. while enduring forced labour under inhumane conditions.
He is seen in the Home Guard photo above…..just wearing his ribbons !
A Superb Double Gallantry & P.O.W. Group of Five with a personally written and stirring back story of extreme bravery in action & incredible endurance as a prisoner of war.
With some seldom seen and rare supporting original paperwork, photos etc, all to a greatly exceptional soldier
and ex-prisoner of war.
Completely New to Market.
A Seriously Good Group.
£3995