Lance Corporal Harold Cook MID

Harold Cook volunteered for the airborne forces from The Royal Warwick Regiment. After successfully passing parachute jump training at RAF Kabrit, joined the 11th Parachute Bn. 

In the battle for The Arnhem Bridge on Op. Market Garden, Harold was a member of Signals Platoon C Coy. His leg bag containing his wireless set was lost when the rope broke as he jumped from the aircraft. Harold later discovered that all the other Signallers had similar experiences.  The glider caring their Jeep and spares,  overturned on landing. As a result Cook and his fellow Signallers were formed into a reserve fighting section. The 11th Para Bn landed 18 September over Ginkel Heath as part of The 4th Parachute Brigade. 

Thursday 21 September Harold was defending a house owned by the De Soet family. The house was called 'Vredehof', which means 'Garden of Peace'. Harold and his comrades did their best to care for the 27 civilians and young children hiding in the cellar. The men gave up their chocolate and water ration to help these people. However the Germans steadily increased their assault on this position and after 3 tanks were firing into the house at point blank they were forced to surrender. During this capture a British soldier defending from the roof thrown a grenade into the group, fortunately the following explosion did not cause any casualties.

Harold and his friend Pte Jimmy Kerr both escaped imprisonment by jumping of a train transporting them to prison. Harold was one of the few who managed to escape during Op. Pegasus 2, with help from the Dutch Resistance. Harold was awarded a 'Mentioned in Despatches' for his actions in the battle. 

Harold took a refresher parachute jump instruction course at RAF Ringway. Course R156 ran between 12 and 27 March 1945. His instructor noted that Harold was :

"Good jumper. Cheerful and reliable"

The profile photo was taken by a German photographer just are Harold was captured.

For further information please read "Arnhem Their Final Battle" The 11th Parachute Battalion 1943 - 1944 by Gerrit Pijpers OBE and David Truesdale.